This is book 6 of a cracking series so, although at a push it can be read as a standalone, the main story being self-contained, to get the very best from it with regard to the characters, their development and backstory, I'd start from book one and read in order.
So we start with what looks like natural causes when theatrical impresario, Bert Billington found dead. Further investigation shows this was far from a natural death and instead, he had been poisoned. Typically a woman's MO the finger of suspicion points firmly to the wife. But she has already employed the dynamic investigation duo of Emma and Sam, and they start their investigation in earnest, alongside the police, specifically WCD Meg Connolly. The case opens up to include the three sons and things start to get a bit messy.
This is the Stephens and Mephisto series although neither really features in big way. Instead the author focusses on the female characters, highlighting what they have to go through to get ahead in their respective professions. The things that women police officers weren't allowed to do! And Emma having to juggle child care. But their smarts show through all the adversity and the three of them do make a formidable team.
The story being told was both interesting and intriguing and had me gripped from the off. Told in a no nonsense way with no superfluous waffle or padding it gets on with itself very well. Yes the pace is slightly slower than a modern day investigation but that's in keeping with the methods used in those days. No mobile phones, no internet. More plodding and intuition. So refreshing!
All in all, a worthy addition to an already well established series. And if you haven't already discovered this author's other series - Ruth Galloway - I'd recommend that too.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Wow,what a read,loved every page,so well written. Characters well developed,each with their own backgrounds,great storyline,
Totally engrossing,could not wait to read the next chapter.
Very well done the author!

I often wonder when I read the latest Elly Griffiths book if somewhere in a dark corner of England there is a much less successful crime writer clutching a wax effigy of her and not quite daring to stick a pin in it. So many must surely be jealous of her consistently high standards and the way in which she makes it all look so easy to do.
The sixth Brighton mystery is set in 1965. The plot is complex and clever. The period setting anchored by real events such as the Moors murders and the action shifts between Brighton, London, Liverpool, Whitby and Somerset. Elly's regular characters have all matured and Edgar, Max, Emma and Sam still help make this a highly compelling read.

The Midnight Hour - Elly Griffiths

Bert Billington theatre impresario has been found dead in his chair. No- one suspects foul play until the post mortem reveals he has been poisoned. He is not liked and his wife, ‘the one and only’ Verity Malone is under suspicion. She employs private detectives Emma Holmes and Sam Collins to investigate the murder. They are in competition with the police, but Emma’s husband is the Superintendent and soon they are working alongside each other as bodies pile up and they have to find the killer.

I really loved this one, I liked the female characters being front and centre, with Max Mephisto and Edgar Stephens taking supporting roles this time around. Emma and Meg particularly I liked and their camaraderie shone through, they were strong characters, putting the men in their place and often!
Set in 1965, I was amazed at all the things women weren’t ‘allowed’ to do such as driving police cars, having to get their husbands permission to hire a car and giving up work when they married! This is in my parents lifetime and I was a bit flabbergasted by this.
With the darker side of show business, actors, costumes, and Dracula in Whitby, this was a good one with danger lurking just out of sight, misdirection so brilliantly done I was glued to this one and wow! The reveal….LOVED it!

✩✩✩✩

A little different to Elly’s usual books. Enjoyed the setting and the time period. Was well written with lots of interesting characters. Would recommend as an easy mystery read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of The Midnight Hour, the sixth novel in the Brighton series, set in 1965.

When impresario Bert Billingham passes away at age 90 no one is surprised until the post mortem finds he was poisoned. Suspicion falls on his wife, former singer and dancer Verity Malone, who hires former detective sergeant Emma Holmes and part-time journalist Sam Collins, now with their very own detective agency, to investigate.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Midnight Hour, which has a compulsive storyline that held my attention to such an extent that I finished it in one sitting. Of course, in true Griffiths style, the plot is as much about the characters as it is about the whodunnit. This is not an issue for me as I have read all the books in the series, but it might be confusing for readers unfamiliar with the various backstories, although, helpfully, there is a character synopsis at the end of the novel. I would recommend that new readers start there.

Like all good mysteries the roots of the crime lie deep in the past, so various secrets from the old music hall days come tumbling out and, as ever, former magician and friend of the characters Max Mephisto is at the heart of them. I enjoyed this depiction of a long gone and decidedly unglamorous era, even if the issues and personality clashes are timeless. I think the actual solution to the crime is a bit of a damp squib in comparison to the rich atmosphere and characterisation, but kudos to the author for pulling off a last minute twist just as the curtain falls.

The characters are the thing in this novel. Yes, Emma Holmes and WDC Meg Connolly do much of the investigative heavy lifting and both are stars, not just smart but as precursors to women’s lib with their discontent at the status quo. Obviously, hindsight is wonderful, but their sentiments feel real and in keeping with the times. The novel, however, revolves around the slightly peripheral Max Mephisto. He contributes little to the investigation but he’s everywhere, both past and present, and his story in this novel is all about change.

The Midnight Hour is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

No one expects foul play when impresario of the stage Bert Billington is found dead. That is until the postmortem reveals he was poisoned, and suspicion soon falls on his wife, and ex-Music Hall star, Verity Malone.
 
Untrusting of the police response, Verity hires the new private detective firm in town, duo Emma Holmes and Sam Collins.
 
As luck would have it, Emma and Sam have a friend on the inside – Max Mephisto is currently filming with Seth Billington, Bert’s son. But is Max even telling them the whole story?
 
Emma and Sam must vie with the police, and in turn Emma’s husband Edgar, to untangle this case. Could the answers lie in the long-ago, glamorous days of Music Hall or are the answers closer to home?
 
 
I have followed this series from the beginning and, whilst each book could probably be read as a standalone, I highly recommend that you start at the beginning. This is not a series filled with edge of your seat crimes, the appeal lies in its endearing characters and insight into this time period as well as the Variety scene.

In this instalment Edgar and Max take somewhat of a backseat, whilst the female protagonists take centre stage. Griffiths really uses this to highlight the change that began to take place for women in the 1960’s. Emma and Meg prove they are capable of ambitions greater than those set by society. Even septuagenarian Verity is educating herself on the shifting tides of feminism and fighting the conventionality of sexism and misogyny.

Although I appreciate the progression through the years the series has made, I do occasionally miss the earlier theatrical setting and, of course, the camaraderie of the “Magic Men’. However, I did still really enjoy this story and the direction being taken. I can well imagine this would make for a very good TV drama, and I would certainly settle down on a Sunday evening for a visit to bygone Brighton!

Although I have always thought of this series as the little sister to the splendid Ruth Galloway strand, in this latest outing the little sister comes of age. The characters are beautifully developed, the sense of place is as vivid as ever and the writing is consistently excellent. What is particularly impressive is how the cooperation between Edgar's police team and Emma's private investigators has blossomed, and the plot is the most convincing of the series.

Brighton 1965 and Bert Billington is found dead at home. His wife, ex- music hall star Verity Malone, finds herself the prime suspect. Verity asks private investigators Emma Holmes and Sam Collins to find out who killed Bert and help her to clear her name.
Digging into Bert’s past Emma and Sam find there is a long list of people who could have wanted him dead but how do they narrow the list down?
DI Bob Willis and WPC Meg Connolly are also working on the case and when it seems that Emma and Sam may know more than the police, Emma’s husband Superintendent Edgar Stephens, encourages his officers to work with Emma and Sam to help catch the killer. With so many suspects but very few leads it’s going to take all their combined resources to find the culprit before they kill again.
Emma Holmes and Sam Collins are great characters but it's not just the lead characters who stand out. The whole character cast is strong and the story is brilliant.
I’ve read Elly’s Ruth Galloway books but for some reason I haven’t read any of the Brighton books.
Now I know what I have been missing. I will be reading the others.

Thanks Quercus and Netgalley for ARC.

Brighton, 1965. Elderly theatre impresario Bert Billington is found dead, and his wife Verity Malone, former stage star, is the chief suspect. Even their son tells the police he suspects his mother.
Emma Holmes and Sam Collins, co-owners of a new private detective agency, are engaged by Verity to find out the truth, or at least to give the local police other lines of enquiry. It turns out Bert wasn't short of enemies, or possible heirs, from his music hall days. Is one of them the dapper Max Mephisto, magician turned actor, filming with Seth in the north?
The local police (including Emma's husband Edgar Stephens) realise they need to pool resources, so Emma teams up with WDC Meg Connolly, who is tired of making tea and taking notes, but isn't sure how to get ahead in the force.
Their investigation takes them to Liverpool and across country to Whitby as they uncover clues, alibis and secrets, before realising the answer is very close to home.
It romps along, but the plot is confusing, I found no real development of character and I found the denouement a little bit of a cheat, with a lot of exposition after the fact to try to tie up loose ends.

We’re in 1965 Brighton and theatrical impresario Bert Billington has been poisoned. Superintendent Edgar Holme’s team is investigating, but Bert’s widow has also hired a private investigation team: Holme’s wife (and former colleague) Emma and her partner. The two teams work independently at first but after there’s another murder, they gradually start to co-operate and Emma forms a bond with junior police officer Meg Connolly.

This is the 6th book in Elly Griffith’s “Brighton Mysteries” series. Technically you could read this as a standalone (and there is a guide to the main characters and their back stories at the end of the book), but you’ll enjoy it far more if you have at least read Now You See Them and have a sense of who everyone is. I felt like I was catching up with old friends.

I really like this series which has a endearingly retro feel to it and which occupies the middle ground between crime and cosy crime. Even though there are murders there is no serious tension or unpleasant violence. The appeal lies in the engaging characters, the interesting setting and the insight into life at that time. If you’ve read the Ruth Galloway series this is not quite - but almost - as good.

This is another fantastic read in the series, it gets better with every book. This murder mystery is full of twists to the end .

One of a series but can be read equally well as a standalone. A well written book with strong female characters that is set during the 1960's. A highly entertaining read by this extremely popular author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is such a lovely book set in 'the good old days', which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is a feel good story, even though there are some gruesome murders involved. However since it is written in the style of Agatha Christie, it is more of an old timey cosy mystery, so the murders are not graphically explained.

I could feel myself walking on the narrow lanes in Brighton, seeing men in top hats, and women in fancy hats. I read the book in two sittings, because it simply drew me in. I enjoyed reading about the music hall and film industry.

The private detective duo Holmes and Collins is really working for me. It must have been an interesting duo in those days. I think this book would work well in the theatre. It is somehow both posh and down to earth. The characters feel real, and the writing is excellent.

The spouse is always the first suspect in murder case but did Verity really poison her husband Bert? The Police and two private investigators will need to keep their wits about them to find out the truth. What they learn about the murdered man & his family leads them to believe that anyone could have killed him as he wasn't the best of men. Verity looks back at her life and realizes that she escaped from her bad family life to a life that she thought that she wanted. But the fame & money brought her much unhappiness even though she had a family and a career. But Bert cheated on her all the time and there were always women claiming to have had his children so when a young woman killed herself & daughter that was the turning point in Verity's life and she knew that one day that he would need to go.
But did she really kill Bert after all this time? Now that another close family friend has been killed will they start looking at other suspects? As Verity surely wouldn't have killed the person that was the closest friend that she ever had?
Will the past come back to haunt everyone? More secrets will be exposed that will change everything.
A good solid read. I enjoyed meeting all the new characters that I am sure we will see them again.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Elly Griffiths just writes books I really like, it doesn't matter which series they are in. I know what I will get when I read one of her books. Well written solid entertainment, good background research and strong female characters. This last instalment in the Mephisto series is no exception. It's a little slow at the beginning but once it gets going it takes you away into the world of the sixties and the entertainment industrie. I like how this series has evolved, from focusing onto Max and Edgar it has now become more of an Emma, Sam and Meg storyline. This one's mystery is also more focused on the female perspective and shows what it was like to be a woman wanting to be independent in the sixties. Good read!

The Midnight Hour - Elly Griffiths

First of all I am a big fan of Elly Griffiths, having devoured all the Ruth Galloway series. This is my first time trying the Brighton Mysteries, and to my shame this is book six, I always try to read series in order when I can.

Set in Brighton in 1965, Bert Billington the theatre impresario has been murdered, leaving his wife the faded theatre star Verity Malone in mourning.

The book captures their world and the times perfectly, a nostalgia for the stage and music halls past, the changes in society of the era, and there is a beautifully warm irony in looking back from now to simpler times.

There are plenty of characters, and I was kicking myself regularly for not starting from the first book and knowing the ins and outs of all the recurring characters' lives. Nobody develops characters and relationships across series arcs as well as Elly. I can only speculate how much I missed out on that regular readers of this series will lap up, there is a comprehensive 'Who's who' in the back of the book.

The plot is an intricate murder mystery, Bert Billington made lots of money and broke plenty of hearts in his theatre heyday giving the police and the private detectives (hired by Verity) a long list of suspects with grudges.

To do this book justice I really need to go back and read the series in order, which I definitely intend to do.


Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus.

This is the latest in Elly Griffiths wonderful Brighton historical series, featuring now Superintendent Edgar Stephens and former stage magician, now a movie star Max Mephisto. However, here they take more minor roles, as Emma Holmes, now married to Edgar, and mother to 3 young children, has set up a Private Investigations Agency with local journalist, Sam Collins, and WDC Meg Connolly, following the pioneering path established by Emma as the first woman detective, take centre stage. It is 1965 and it is a man's world, married women cannot stay in the police force, and are not allowed to drive police cars. The sheen of love and marriage has worn off for Emma, as she is responsible for taking care of her lively and energy consuming children, making work difficult, she often has to take her youngest with her as she investigates.

90 year old former theatre impresario, Bert Billington, is found dead at home, murdered after ingesting rat poison. He was married to 75 year old Verity, a former show girl, and they have 3 sons, David, Seth, a heart throb movie star, and mechanic Aaron. Aaron is convinced Verity killed Bert, because she is far too interested in women rights and equality, reading feminists like Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique. This pushes Verity to hire Emma and Sam, giving them their first big case, and a huge impetus to prove themselves as they at first compete with and then co-operate with the police, with Emma and Meg forming a formidable partnership. As they pursue their inquiries, it soon becomes clear Bert was not a good man, constantly cheating on Verity, with a string of children as a result of liaisons with other women, and there is a whole host of suspects with a motive to want him dead.

Griffiths highlights the position of women in the 1960s, the social norms and attitudes that drove the sexism and the misogyny, the lot of married women and mothers, and she illustrates this by focusing on the ambitious Emma and Meg bucking the trend, the obstacles they face, and their determination to prove their abilities and solve the case. Max is part of the case as he knew both Bert and Verity, he is making a Dracula movie in Whitby with Seth, and Edgar takes a back seat to Emma, discovering just how challenging looking after his children is. This is a wonderfully engaging addition to the series, giving us a glimpse of Britain in the 196os, its culture, and Sam having to cover the notorious Moors Murders with the arrest of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Another wholly entertaining episode in the Brighton Mysteries series. This time Emma and her partner Sam take centre stage with their new detective agency. An interesting view in a time when WPCs weren't allowed to drive police cars, and the limitations on their roles. The world of show business is again at the core of the story with the welcome return of Max and Ruby.

Love this author but I hadn't read any of here Brighton series. I quickly read the first two books before this one so I had a bit of background. Reading this was a bit of a plot spoiler for some of the characters' personal events but no major. surprises. Moved to Brighton in the mid-60s and grew up there so this was a bit like going home - not so many murders though! A lot of family dynamics going on within all the suspects so need to keep your wits about you when reading. Another intriguing plot based amongst Brighton's theatrical circles. Thanks to Netgalley.