I have to confess that I did not finish Murder at the Theatre Royale. I was irritated by the characters and wasn't convinced by the attempt at bringing a 1930s setting to life. And it just moved too slowly and was too full of inner monologue. I'm sorry.

Good. Even though it took a long time for it to get going the pace does pick up and even though it does the ending just comes so suddenly that it just feels rushed. Also even though the setting is at Christmas and set during a production of A Christmas Carol it can be read during the whole year as it doesn't really give Christmas vibes.

An easy and readable cosy crime novel, jolly and enjoyable with a Christmas feel. The first I've read by this author, I liked the heroine and the concept of her character and can see how she could translate to a series. My main issue, I found the period language used to convey the setting/era rather overwrought and heavy handed - it felt a bit forced which was distracting to read - but the plot and its twists and turns were fun to follow and inventive. Thanks to the publishers & Netgalley for the opportunity to read.

Cleverly written , a jolly romp through murder, mystery and mayham as Miss King aka Dear Susan, puts her investigative skills to good use and in the process,unmasks a killer, plagiarist and blackmailer. Refreshingly different and enjoyable, Miss King's deductive powers would impress the great Sherlock Holmes.

This is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery read in the run up to Christmas. The main character, Daphne, is ready to prove to her newspaper boss that she can be more than her 'Agony Aunt' role and the scene is set after she observes a murder occur on stage during a rehearsal of 'A Christmas Carol'. Daphne is a likeable character who is feisty and determined to prove herself, and some of the connections she makes with the theatre players help to move the plot on and keep it interesting. A feelgood murder mystery but not on a par with Christie!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

A nice read, quite humorous at times and I liked most of the characters, but it didn’t grip me, maybe I’m just used to more serious crime reads, I would def look for other book by this author though. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early copy

A fun, quick read with a good touch of humour along with the murder. The author shows a deft hand with the Agatha Christie type set up and denouement.

This novel by Ada Moncrieff is right up my alley, but unfortunately, it didn't grip me. I found the story rather drawn out and wanted it to move and get into the nitty-gritty. Perhaps another pass with a development editor might help. A good premise, but rather let down by a slow pace.

I loved the premise of this but the book still felt like i needed a good edit as it was very word and convoluted the plot. Expected a tad more backstage pass of the inner workings of the theatre but that felt a little lost. Had so much potential, but struggled to hold my interest.

The Theatre Royal... Well we have one in my city and this appealed to me so I was excited to read this book.

Set in the 1930's this is more of a light-hearted cosy and sometimes humorous mystery which is quite entertaining. The characters bring together some that are easy to like and others that feel a bit forced and maybe even unlikeable. The story, plot and the twists are good and it is a fairly easy read. It is entertaining but could have been a bit better written.

All in all enjoyable but not a favourite.

To be more accurate, my overall rating is a 3.5. This was an enjoyable read but certainly not mind blowing, however I do think this is because I’m much more of a thrill seeker when it comes to murder mysteries. The cosy crime vibes of this novel were very charming and would please many readers, but they’re not best suited to my taste!

I found that the characters were interesting however at times they lacked an element of depth that left me a little unsatisfied. I loved Daphne and thought she was fascinating. The longing to escape her role as anonymous agony aunt, ‘Dear Susan’ was a great foundation to lay her character and although it could possibly be seen as cliché for some, I liked it. I also found the dynamic between Daphne and Victoria really intriguing and I wish that was explored to a deeper level to add a bit more substance to the plot.

The plot twists were paced well and it was a quick and enjoyable book for crime lovers that prefer a more laidback mystery. But for me, there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on which makes it hard to rate it higher. I must say that the final reveal was well explained and provided clarity - something which I’ve found a lot of crime authors struggle with. It was unexpected but not impactful in an alarming way, which I suppose adds the the cosy crime nature of the novel, which I am not used to.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, Vintage, and the author, Ada Moncrieff, for my ARC copy in return for an honest review.

I am a drama teacher so it was fascinating to see the inner workings (albeit fictional) of a major theatre in London. The characters were likeable and it was a quick read.

Murder at the theatre royal by Ada Moncrieff

I was intrigued and excited to read this book Purley based on the title and cover and the fact I love a murder mystery. However this was very disappointing as the author felt it necessary to use complicated language that becomes boring to try and decipher.


Set in 1930s reporter Daphne King is keen to take on a new role at the newspaper so when the opportunity to do a piece on the theatres new staging of the Christmas carol she jumps at it. However while there she witnesses the death of an actor and she sets about investing whether this was a murder.

I’m sorry that I didn’t like this book but to me it felt like an over elaborate creative writing exercise, I’m sure this will appeal to others though.

Thank you @netgalley @vikingbooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

While being stuck writing the ‘Dear Susan’ column for her local newspaper and desperate to move to the crime desk, an opportunity arises for Daphne to move across to crime for a short period, hoping to prove her skills for the longer term and stop writing those awful real letter replies.
She gets to visit a local theatre, initially to interview some stars and review the play, but as a murder is concluded, she becomes the fountain of all information to solve the mystery. Being set in the 1903s gives the writer the chance to leave aside modern technology and go back to basics.
As the star dabbles with the police team, she shows them why it wasn’t a natural death and all the character’s Christmas plans change significantly.
The story is both clever and amusing and kept my attention to the very end. Some of the tensions among the cast and director leave a lot to be desired, but in the end, they must all be involved in answering Daphne’s questions.
A second murder adds to the confusion so I’m pleased a free copy of this book found it’s way to me. I hope to investigate this writer further.

I was critical of Ada Moncrieff''s previous Christmas mystery for its clunky writing, creaky plot and occasional infelicities of language, so I was interested to read this latest novel to see what, if anything, had changed.

Here the setting has moved from a country house to a London theatre and the heroine, Daphne King, is a feisty reporter, elevated from her place on the agony aunt column. Daphne is well-realised and has potential as the centre of a series, however I found the 1930s theatrical milieu somewhat unconvincing.

The author's writing is slightly less pretentious and clunky than before, although one groans at the use of "palimpsest" in the description of a theatre bar, and at characters who curl their lips in disdain.

As far as plotting is concerned, the author still has a lot to learn about clue-placing (too few to give the reader a chance at detecting) and not information dumping towards the end in order to reach a solution.

It was a bit lacking in period feel and some details were a bit questionable-would someone working in a provincial shop have festooned themselves in tinsel in 1935? Would a theatrical rendition of A Christmas Carol have played well in the provinces months before Christmas?

Overall this represented a slight improvement, but it was not awfully Christmassy, despite all the tinsel!

3.25 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House Vintage for the digital review copy.

Another excellent read from Ada Moncrief. This book gets off to a particularly strong start: her verbose prose at times reminds me of the brilliant PG Wodehouse. A cosy murder mystery with the added charm of a Christmas setting. What more could a reader want?!

Loved this who dun it storyline, twists and turns throughout and set in the 1900s, great cast of characters, was descriptive as well, felt like you were part of the story you get yourself that immersed in it
Highly recommended

I raced through this compelling book which takes us back to the 1930s. Daphne isn't your typical detective - in fact, she's an agony aunt. but after solving her first crime she has a nose for trouble, and can see when there might be a good newspaper story too, something to lift her out of her agony aunt niche and propel her to the front page.
This book has lots of good characters and a theatre setting, plenty of suspects and a plot to keep you reading. Recommended.

Murder at the Theatre Royale features the engaging Daphne King, whose journalist career is stuck in the "Dear Susan" column of her newspaper. After having her big story stolen by a mendacious colleague, she is more determined than ever to make her name as an investigative reporter and the chance comes when, sent to cover the opening of a new play, the lead drops dead practically at her feet. Off and running, she hunts down the culprit in this spirited cozy crime set in the 1930s. Ada Moncrieff writes with great verve and charm. An enjoyable read.

It's 22 December 1935. Agony aunt Daphne King works for a newspaper but wants to use her journalism skills on the crime beat. Her boss isn't keen on the idea and wants her to stay where she is--she's good for the bottom line. She solved the case of a kidnapped contessa and ever since circulation has gone through the roof. However, he needs someone to fill in for a guy who has become ill, so he sends her to the premiere of a play--A Christmas Carol--being staged by a formerly well known playwright. So it is that Daphne is there at the dress rehearsal when the leading man, in his role as Ebenezer Scrooge, drops dead. Inspector Marklow soon arrives and decides it was probably heart trouble. Daphne thinks otherwise and it doesn't take her long to ruin Marklow's pre-Christmas plans. Daphne and her new friends are soon on the hunt for the killer.

I was interested in this book because of the connection to Christmas and A Christmas Carol. I do love a Christmas cozy! As it happens, that was pretty secondary to the plot and was almost an afterthought in the story, although winter weather did play a small part. I enjoyed the book anyway, but it wasn't what I expected.

I was a bit confused for a while, because it was clear that Daphne knew Marklow pretty well and that there had been other cases before this one. Some reference was made to these cases, which made me think this was one of a series, but I was unable to find any other books with this character.

This was a fun read. I liked Daphne and her new friend Veronica quite a lot. I enjoyed the way Daphne grew in confidence as she went along and was determined to get her boss to change her role at the paper. She is also fond of wordplay as I am, so I found myself chuckling at some of her comments. The mystery was a good one and the ending was not predictable. The author tended to move into the future quite a lot, writing things like, 'For years, Daphne would remember this moment as a turning point...' Sometimes she would use this device to let the reader know about the future selves of some of the characters. I don't know if this will be a series. It seems like it would lend itself well to that and it would be interesting to see how Daphne evolves and grows over time. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a nice way to spend a few hours