Murder at the Matinee by Jamie West - Book Review

Series: Bertie Carroll Mysteries #2

Publication Date: 05th Sep 2024 

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery, LGBT 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Cozy indeed! Read it if you like theaters

1934, London West End 

Bertie Carroll has no choice but to go when his friendly rival and playwright, Alice, gives him a frantic call. Someone had placed an advert that a murder would take place in the third act of her play. Though Bertie has no idea how or what he should do, he goes to offer moral support to Alice. 

However, a murder indeed occurs, and Alice is determined Bertie should solve it (with her help, of course)! With Inspector Hugh Chapman assigned to the case, Bertie has to navigate the clues as well as his feelings for his friend. 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Bertie (mostly), Hugh, and Alice. 

My Thoughts: 

As someone who quite enjoyed the first book, I was excited to read this one. The author’s experience with theater shines even in this book. The detailing of the Gaiety theatre- the seats, the backend, etc., is so good! Also, don’t miss the author’s note at the end. 

While this works as a standalone, reading the first book will be better. That’s because unlike other LGBT+ works, this one is subtle and hush-hush (better than book one, though). It was the same in book one. Though the friction between the lead characters is a bit more apparent, it doesn’t openly highlight anything. 

Bertie is easy to like, which makes this an easy and entertaining read. Alice is a force to reckon with (for the MC and readers, lol). She does bring a lot of lighthearted moments and chuckles, though. Her characterization is steady, and I would be delighted to meet her again in future books. 

Once again, the theater industry, actors, and relevant issues are the primary focus. The 1930s setting adds a lovely charm as well as provides details about how the backgrounds (for plays) were made, the local living conditions (based on income), transportation, etc. Quite a lot of history is packed into it without distracting from the plot. 

The mystery as such is easy to guess. While it should have been a whodunit, it is more of a howdunit and whydunit for me since I guessed the killer early. The repetition of certain details made it even more obvious (toning it down a little should help the plot). 

Bertie’s secretary, the efficient Miss. Gertie (Gertrude) Williams, has a small role in the last quarter. It’s fun meeting her again. Always give me characters that thrive on order and color-coded lists. 

The reveal is not a monologue but comes from more than one character and involves others asking questions and such. This works well as it keeps the reader more invested in the proceedings. 

To summarize, Murder at the Matinee is a light and cozy read set in the world of theater from the 1930s. It reads a lot like a classic mystery with the visible influence of Christie’s works. 

We are told there will be more books in the series, so I’m hoping the next one will not be a long wait. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Brabinger Publishing, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #MurderattheMatinee