Step behind the velvet curtains and into the world of intrigue, where every performance hides a secret and the drama extends far beyond the stage. Theaters have long been the perfect backdrop for mystery novels, with their shadowy wings, eccentric characters, and high-stakes performances. In these gripping stories, the tension builds not just from the script, but from the deadly mysteries that unfold behind the scenes. These whodunits will keep you guessing until the final act.
Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge
Housekeeper Phyllida Bright is out of her comfort zone in bustling London while her employer, Agatha Christie, is away. When Archibald Allston is found dead onstage at the Adelphi Theater, it seems natural, but soon after, another actor is murdered, followed by a third. With panic erupting among theater folk—a superstitious bunch at the best of times—Phyllida steps up to help with the investigation. The murderer’s MO may be easy to read, but can Phyllida uncover the killer’s identity before the final curtain falls on another victim?
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah
It’s Halloween weekend and Beacon Harbor, Michigan, has a packed schedule of events, including the Pumpkin Pageant, featuring humans and their canine counterparts. For treats, there’s plenty of pumpkin goodness from bakery/café owner and local lighthouse resident Lindsey Bakewell. But someone wants to spoil the fun with a deadly trick.
Murder at the Spelling Bee by Lee Hollis
When a school spelling bee moderator is murdered, Portland P.I. partners and moms, Maya Kendrick and Sandra Wallage, are called in to protect a young contestant facing threats. But things take a deadly turn when the biased teacher running the bee, Ellie Lambert, is found dead and Sandra is a suspect. With further suspects ranging from helicopter parents to the school custodian, Maya and Sandra will need to put their heads together to spell out who had the motive and opportunity to silence Ellie Lambert.
Rehearsed to Death by Frank Anthony Polito
A gay couple who solve crimes while renovating houses for their hit reality show Domestic Partners take on a new challenge—community theater. Peter’s first play is premiering, with his partner JP in the lead, but tensions run high with the arrogant director, Xander Deva. When Xander is found strangled with his own cashmere scarf, amateur sleuths Peter and JP become Domestic Partners in Crime and try to solve this deadly real-life drama ahead of opening night.
A Fatal Overture by Kathleen Marple Kalb
During the first winter of the twentieth century, Gilded Age trouser diva Ella Shane refuses to dim the lights on her dazzling show business career for marriage—even to a dashing British duke. But the versatile mezzo-soprano may have to put it all on the line once murder takes center stage in Kathleen Marple Kalb’s theatrical third historical mystery set in 1900 New York City…
Wreathing Havoc by Julia Henry
There’s nothing like autumn in picturesque Goosebush, Massachusetts, but beneath the season’s sun-dappled foliage, Lilly Jayne and her Garden Squad must investigate a shadowy murder mystery after a theater owner’s sudden death sows as much drama behind the scenes as on any stage.
Theater Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein
When a local Senior Center production of Mamma Mia seems to be cursed—with stolen props, sabotage, and even a death threat. When a cast member plunges to his death from a catwalk, it soon becomes clear a murderer is waiting in the wings. Now Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and a supporting cast must take center stage to catch the killer—before it’s curtains for someone else . . .
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