Meet Charles Paris: a washed-up actor with a taste for wine, women . . . and solving crimes! A binge-worthy cozy mystery series from the original king of British cozy crime, internationally best-selling, award-winning author Simon Brett, OBE. For fans of Richard Osman - but with added bite!
"Like a little malice in your mysteries? Some cynicism in your cosies? Simon Brett is happy to oblige" THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Few crime writers are as enchantingly gifted" THE SUNDAY TIMES
"One of British crime's most assured craftsmen . . . Perfect entertainment" THE GUARDIAN
"A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans" P.D. JAMES
"Murder most enjoyable" COLIN DEXTER
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A middle-aged actor - and sometimes sleuth - who desperately needs a drink
A closing night celebration of an amdram production of Chekhov
An old friend, who's clearly ill at ease
And waiting behind the scenes . . . AN AMATEUR CORPSE
Jobbing actor Charles Paris is first to arrive at the Breckton Backstagers' cast party. After suffering through their production of Chekhov's The Seagull, he badly needs a drink.
Charles wishes he hadn't agreed to lead a critical discussion of the play in a few days' time. But cast member, advertising executive - and old friend - Hugo Mecken has put a lot of lucrative voiceover work his way of late, and it would be churlish to back out now. He only hopes he doesn't feel compelled to repeat his mistake with their upcoming run of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.
After rather too much cheap red wine, Charles returns home with Hugo in the small hours, and is disturbed to hear him confess he feels like he's losing control and is on the verge of committing a terrible crime.
Charles doesn't give the matter too much thought. Not until he stumbles over the very dead body of Hugo's wife, hidden in the coal shed, his old friend prime suspect for the murder . . .
Fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, M.C. Beaton and Faith Martin will love this hilarious cozy traditional mystery series featuring one of the funniest antiheroes in crime fiction. Written over a fifty-year-period, it perfectly captures life and contemporary attitudes in 1970s London - and beyond!
READERS ADORE CHARLES PARIS:
"Nicely done indeed" Kirkus Reviews
"The characters and witty dialogue reign supreme . . . Simply delicious" Norma, 5* GoodReads review
"A good plot, nice twists and good banter" Agoston, 5* GoodReads review
"These just keep getting better and more ingenious" Christian, 5* GoodReads review
"Loved this. Hilariously funny" Arabella, 5* Amazon review
THE CHARLES PARIS MYSTERIES, IN ORDER:
1. Cast in Order of Disappearance
2. So Much Blood
3. Star Trap
4. An Amateur Corpse
5. A Comedian Dies
6. The Dead Side of the Mike
7. Situation Tragedy
8. Murder Unprompted
9. Murder in the Title
10. Not Dead, Only Resting
11. Dead Giveaway
12. What Bloody Man is That
13. A Series of Murders
14. Corporate Bodies
15. A Reconstructed Corpse
16. Sicken and So Die
17. Dead Room Farce
18. A Decent Interval
19. The Cinderella Killer
20. A Deadly Habit

|Charles Paris has already endured the amateur theatre company's production of 'Dear Old Chekhov'. God only knows what this self-centred group will do to the Bard. But before Charles can escape to the nearest bar, the company's young and beautiful leading lady turns up dead, Charles's friend Hugo is charged with the crime.