verityw's review against another edition
3.0
I'm really enjoying this series - and it's very easy to go straight from one book to the next.
judythereader's review against another edition
2.0
This book did not translate well to audio. I think, especially because the audio was done quite some time ago, so it was not read as creatively as books are now. The reader did a decent job. The book was interesting, but slow and melancholy.
lnatal's review
3.0
From BBC Radio 4 - Drama:
Bill Nighy returns as actor-cum-amateur-sleuth Charles Paris in Jeremy Front's new dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel.
Charles, bit part actor and amateur sleuth, finally gets the chance to be in a West End musical, but Charles' suspicions are roused when the number of accidents looks like more than bad luck...
At home, Charles' 'semi-detached' wife Frances is approaching a big birthday and she's drawn up a bucket list of things to do before it's too late.
Episode 1
Bill Nighy returns as the loveably louche actor-cum-amateur sleuth, Charles Paris.
Episode 2
Charles has got a better part in Winnie, the musical about Winston Churchill, after one of the other actors had an accident.
Episode 3
After yet another accident involving a member of the cast of 'Winnie' the musical, Charles is getting suspicious.
Episode 4
A death in the company of Winnie The Musical after a string of accidents makes Charles think someone might be sabotaging the show.
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Chris Watt ..... Nigel Lindsay
Nina Lamb ..... Clare Corbett
Trevor Rhodes ..... Michael Bertenshaw
Mark Spelthorne ..... Christopher Harper
Izzy ..... Franchi Webb
Ged ..... Ronny Jhutti
TV Announcer ..... Carolyn Pickles
Director ..... Mary Peate
Producer ..... Sally Avens
Jeremy Front (Jack and Millie, Magnificent Women, Sword of Honour) continues his hugely successful adaptations of Simon Brett's novels starring Bill Nighy (Marigold Hotel, Dad's Army) as Charles Paris; Suzanne Burden (Fresh Meat, Tis Pity she's A Whore) as Frances - Charles ex-wife from whom he's never been able to detach himself - and Jon Glover (Episodes, Hitchhikers) as Maurice - Charles' long suffering agent.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002zcc
Bill Nighy returns as actor-cum-amateur-sleuth Charles Paris in Jeremy Front's new dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel.
Charles, bit part actor and amateur sleuth, finally gets the chance to be in a West End musical, but Charles' suspicions are roused when the number of accidents looks like more than bad luck...
At home, Charles' 'semi-detached' wife Frances is approaching a big birthday and she's drawn up a bucket list of things to do before it's too late.
Episode 1
Bill Nighy returns as the loveably louche actor-cum-amateur sleuth, Charles Paris.
Episode 2
Charles has got a better part in Winnie, the musical about Winston Churchill, after one of the other actors had an accident.
Episode 3
After yet another accident involving a member of the cast of 'Winnie' the musical, Charles is getting suspicious.
Episode 4
A death in the company of Winnie The Musical after a string of accidents makes Charles think someone might be sabotaging the show.
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Chris Watt ..... Nigel Lindsay
Nina Lamb ..... Clare Corbett
Trevor Rhodes ..... Michael Bertenshaw
Mark Spelthorne ..... Christopher Harper
Izzy ..... Franchi Webb
Ged ..... Ronny Jhutti
TV Announcer ..... Carolyn Pickles
Director ..... Mary Peate
Producer ..... Sally Avens
Jeremy Front (Jack and Millie, Magnificent Women, Sword of Honour) continues his hugely successful adaptations of Simon Brett's novels starring Bill Nighy (Marigold Hotel, Dad's Army) as Charles Paris; Suzanne Burden (Fresh Meat, Tis Pity she's A Whore) as Frances - Charles ex-wife from whom he's never been able to detach himself - and Jon Glover (Episodes, Hitchhikers) as Maurice - Charles' long suffering agent.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002zcc
latepaul's review
3.0
3.5 stars
A little light reading to start the year.
I keep hoping this series will get really good. I suspect it gets better. This was written in 1975 and I suspect I'll like it better when the "contemporary" feel is less dated (if that makes sense).
Still I like the protagonist, it's fun to follow the world of 1970's theatre and the puzzle element works as ever.
One thing that sticks out is how Charles Paris - who is just a jobbing actor - asks all sorts of questions to all sorts of people and they mostly just shrug and answer them without wondering why he's playing detective. In a couple of sequences he does at least pretend to be a journalist. Maybe it's a trope of the 'cozy mystery' genre. I haven't read enough to know.
A little light reading to start the year.
I keep hoping this series will get really good. I suspect it gets better. This was written in 1975 and I suspect I'll like it better when the "contemporary" feel is less dated (if that makes sense).
Still I like the protagonist, it's fun to follow the world of 1970's theatre and the puzzle element works as ever.
One thing that sticks out is how Charles Paris - who is just a jobbing actor - asks all sorts of questions to all sorts of people and they mostly just shrug and answer them without wondering why he's playing detective. In a couple of sequences he does at least pretend to be a journalist. Maybe it's a trope of the 'cozy mystery' genre. I haven't read enough to know.
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