Behind-the-Scenes Conspiracies Continue! 10 Best Theatre Mystery Books
There is nothing quite like the dramatic tension of a theatre mystery, is there? Those closed curtains, those dimly-lit corridors, and the simmering intrigue that continues even when the show stops. For those who have dipped their toes into this enchanting niche of literature, they know very well that the real drama often unfolds behind the scenes.
Packed with echo of whispers, hidden truths, and deceitful masks, theatre mystery books are just the right cocktail for those thirsting for a thrilling escape. Artists know that it's in these labyrinthine backstage pathways that the true pulse of drama beats. What better setting for a plot of mystery soaked in deception and swathed in suspense, then?
Featuring an array of ingenious storytelling from brilliant writers, these 10 best theatre mystery books recommended below are sure to have your heart racing, mind spinning, as the final act leaves you gasping for more. Not just for the theater-philes but for those who appreciate a good yarn, these novels are guaranteed to transport you into a world of hushed secrets, unexpected twists, and heart-stopping revelations, all under the grand stage where reality and fiction blur.
So grab your backstage pass, delve into these narratives, and let the suspenseful extravaganza begin!
『A Thief in the Theater』
In 1935, while preparing to write a newspaper story about a theater production of Macbeth in her hometown of Cincinnati, twelve-year-old Kit discovers that a thief is stealing from the box office.
Author | Sarah Masters Buckey |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | American Girl Publishing Incorporated |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2008 |
Source | Google Books |
『With a Kiss I Die』
Will the kiss of death claim Romeo and Juliet—and Sully—before opening night? When Edwina "Sully" Sullivan, a retired cop turned theater manager, learns that a production of Romeo and Juliet—which Cliffside Theater's Dimitri Traietti left town to direct—is in serious trouble, she sets aside her grant applications and heads to Boston to help. Between managing Dimitri, consulting with costume and set designers, and schmoozing with potential funders, Sully puts on nearly every hat in the biz. But the one hat she doesn't expect to wear is that of her old job as a cop. When a socialite is murdered in Boston's Public Garden, Sully's ex-husband becomes the prime suspect. So she reprises her role as an ace investigator and once again steps into the spotlight to solve a crime.
Author | J. A. Hennrikus |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Llewellyn Worldwide |
Release Date | Apr 08, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
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Price | unknown |
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Source | Google Books |
『Disaster at the Vendome Theater』
Calamity befalls the little Vendome Theater in the tenth installment of the sun- and wine-soaked Provençal Mystery Series. Provençal Mystery Series #10 Watch the series! Murder in Provence is now on Britbox. When Jean-Marc Sauvet, successful lawyer and the best friend of Aix-en-Provence’s examining magistrate Antoine Verlaque, accepted a small role in a local theater’s summer production of Marcel Pagnol’s Cigalon, he had no idea that the lead actress would be played by the great Liliane Poncet. But Jean-Marc’s excitement about rubbing elbows with one of France’s legendary film stars is quickly extinguished. The lead actor, Gauthier Lesage, is rude and unenthusiastic, and nobody understands how he got the part. Chaos reigns backstage thanks to the absentminded theater director. And everyone seems to be harboring a secret. When one of the actors goes missing for good, it’s up to the soon-to-be-a-father Verlaque and his police commissioner, Bruno Paulik, to untangle the threads of a mystery that seems to get more complicated every day…
Author | M. L. Longworth |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Oct 04, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Phantom of the Opera』
The Phantom of the Opera is perhaps best known for its many stage and screen adaptations, but nothing beats the Gothic tension and haunting horror of Gaston Leroux's original text. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics bound in real cloth with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an afterword by dramatist Peter Harness. Strange things are going on at the Paris Opera House; a mysterious phantom - a skeleton in dinner dress - is wreaking havoc amongst the singers and backstage staff. But when new managers take over and dismiss the rumours of the Opera Ghost, the terror really begins. Who is the curious figure stalking the stage at night? How can he be in so many places at once, entering and leaving locked rooms at will? And what is his connection to the beautiful and talented young soloist, Christine?
Author | Gaston Leroux |
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Price | $2.51 |
Publisher | Pan Macmillan |
Release Date | Oct 06, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
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Price | unknown |
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Source | Google Books |
『Staged 4 Murder』
A P.I.’s bookkeeper takes a side gig in sleuthing when an amateur production of The Mousetrap features a real-life murder in this cozy mystery novel. Sophie “Phee” Kimball is trying to get work done at her private investigation company, but it’s hard to focus when her old crush just moved to Arizona to join the staff. The last thing she needs is more distraction—like constant updates from her mom on the local production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.” Practically everyone from Mom’s book club and retirement community, with the possible exception of her chiweenie dog, wants to join the cast and crew. But someone’s playing the role of a killer for real. After a much-despised cast member is found dead in the theater, Phee has no choice but to immerse herself in all the backstabbing, backstage gossip. Especially if her drama-queen mother is right about the threatening note left on her windshield—which could spell curtains for another victim
Author | J.C. Eaton |
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Price | $7.59 |
Publisher | Kensington Cozies |
Release Date | Jun 26, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『Show Time』
The tide has turned for Dodie O’Dell since a hurricane upended her life on the Jersey Shore. Now she’s further up the coast in sleepy Etonville, managing a restaurant that dishes dinners themed around the community theater’s latest productions. But Dodie just never imagined she’d land the starring role in a case of bloody homicide . . . Intrigued by rumors of vanishing box office money, Dodie has agreed to help oversee the casting of Romeo and Juliet at the modest Etonville Little Theater. If nothing else, it’s a welcome escape from the thirty-something’s usual going-to-bed-with-a-mystery-novel routine. But when Jerome Angleton, a well-respected member of the theater company, is inexplicably found murdered on the loading dock, deadly drama transcends the stage—and the page. As a crime wave crashes over the small town, the spotlight is on Dodie to orchestrate her own investigation behind the scenes . . . before someone has a chance at a killer encore.
Author | Suzanne Trauth |
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Price | $8.99 |
Publisher | Lyrical Press |
Release Date | Jul 19, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『Night at the Vulcan』
“The theatre plays backdrop to romance and murder . . . Good reading.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Newly arrived from New Zealand and in need of funds, Martyn Tarne takes a job as a dresser to the Vulcan Theater’s leading lady. Along with a paycheck, this also provides her with a ringside seat to the backstage circus—and the eventual murder that occurs on opening night. Inspector Alleyn is soon called to solve the case and put a stop to all the drama . . . “To my thinking, no other writer evokes ‘the incense of the playhouse’ or describes the technical details of stage production with the degree of authenticity that Dame Ngaio achieved in novels like Enter a Murderer, Killer Dolphin, Night at the Vulcan and Light Thickens.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times “The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.” —Times Literary Supplement Also published under the title Opening Night
Author | Ngaio Marsh |
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Price | $14.99 |
Publisher | Felony & Mayhem Press |
Release Date | Dec 15, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
『Death at La Fenice』
A conductor succumbs to cyanide at the famed Venice opera house, in the first mystery in the New York Times–bestselling, award-winning series. During intermission at the famed La Fenice opera house in Venice, Italy, a notoriously difficult and widely disliked German conductor is poisoned—and suspects abound. Guido Brunetti, a native Venetian, sets out to unravel the mystery behind the high-profile murder. To do so, he calls on his knowledge of Venice, its culture, and its dirty politics. Along the way, he finds the crime may have roots going back decades—and that revenge, corruption, and even Italian cuisine may play a role. “One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever.” —The Washington Post “A brilliant writer . . . an immensely likable police detective who takes every murder to heart.” —The New York Times Book Review
Author | Donna Leon |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Grove/Atlantic, Inc. |
Release Date | Apr 20, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
In wrapping up these behind-the-scenes theatre mystery recommendations, let me just say I hope you're ready to experience the intense drama and thrilling intrigue these novels and comics meticulously craft. Don't be caught off guard by shocking plot twists and conspiracy-laden narratives that usher you into an intricate world of theatre as you've never seen it before. These little known stories, often eclipsed by the grander productions they serve, deserve their moment in the spotlight. Apart from offering an irresistible mix of mystery and theatre, these works are a testament to the power of storytelling. Indeed, these stories aren't just confined to the stage — they perform just as brilliantly on the page. So, let's take our seats, folks! The curtain's about to rise, and you don't want to miss the thrill and chills these books have in store for you. Break a leg and happy reading!
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