Simon Brett began his Charles Paris mystery series with Cast, In Order of Disappearance in the seventies, but the title was the only worthwhile thing about that book and it's surprising that it wasn't the last in the series. The alcoholic actor Charles Paris did not make a terribly convincing amateur sleuth -- something that has always been a bit of a problem for the series -- but eventually Paris himself began to grow on the readers. So Much Blood, in which Paris does a one-man show at a festival in Edinburgh, had him again involved in murder and spending limited time with his mostly estranged wife. It was slightly better than the first book.
Then Brett hit his speed with the third book in the series, Star Trap, in which he is hired for a small role in a musical based on She Stoops to Conquer. In addition to being in the cast, Charles is also told to keep an eye out for someone who might be committing acts of sabotage on the production. (One doesn't quite buy that anyone would ask this semi-drunk to do much more than remember his lines!) The star of the musical is an egomaniacal actor who has become famous as a lovable character on a very popular British sitcom, and it isn't long before he takes over the entire production, almost literally. Along with the suspense over what might happen to whom, and who is responsible, Brett examines the very nature of stardom, the behavior of actors who have hit the heights and are terrified of falling, and illuminates where everyone else in a production might fit in or not while dissecting what goes on behind the scenes. As the star makes wholesale changes the musical resembles She Stoops to Conquer less and less. Star Trap -- the title refers to a kind of trapdoor as well as being a pun on "Star Trip" -- is more serious and thoughtful than other Paris mysteries, and it is very well-written. I confess the ending was not entirely satisfying to me, but Brett does more or less wrap up everything in a compelling fashion. The latest Charles Paris novel is A Deadly Habit.
Verdict: Very engaging mystery with interesting twists. ***.
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