Murder in the Dressing Room is a campy, glittery, drag-filled cozy whodunnit by Holly Stars. Due out 14th Jan 2025 from Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a well written cozy series opener featuring a drag queen amateur sleuth whose alter ego Joe is a mild mannered accountant by day in a hotel chain in London. When Misty/Joe literally stumble over the body of their mentor and when the official powers-that-be are more interested in solving a spate of possibly linked high value burglaries than the murder, Misty decides to take matters into her own well-manicured hands.
The plotting and mystery construction are sound, and the characterization is over the top and full of flamboyant dramatic drag queens and a host of non-drag quirky characters who run the gamut from sympathetic to loathsome. One of the most impressive technical details is the author's mostly seamless use of nonbinary pronouns. For readers who *really* don't like the use of singular "they" (get over it, please), the constant use will likely grate. It is noticeable, but fades over time and doesn't distract much, but it is there.
The denouement and conclusion are well crafted, a tiny bit predictable, but overall fair-play and within the rules. It's a strong series opener and it will be nice to see how the characters and series develop.
Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library, home library, gift giving (to a drag friendly mystery fan), or a buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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