Fading Hollywood star and gloriously loathsome prima donna, Ceilia Hamilton, has unfathomably joined a tinpot end of the palace pier theatre show in Brighton. It proves to be her final role.

Bertie, the playwright, and Hugh, the police inspector, old schoolmates and maybe more than that combine forces to unravel a murder which could have been done very understandably by any of the cast or their helpers. In truth Bertie uncovers what happened with Hugh providing not much more than an impressive physique and lessons in cold sea swimming.

On the cosy end of mystery writing, I enjoyed this tale, despite it unfolding quite slowly. The denouement is not a great surprise but some of the world of theatre and stagecraft comes through enjoyably in the writing.

It is worth a read and it distracted me on a long, very crowded train ride to Scotland. No mean feat!

this is my very first arc from netgalley and what a great start. i’ve only very recently started reading books within the crime genre and i’m particularly fond of those set years ago - so with this being set in the 1930s and at a theatre of all places, it caught my eye immediately.

it’s an easy to follow story, never straying to the unbelievable, with the characters being slightly ahead of you when it comes to solving the mystery at hand so the twists remain twists but you can see where they came from.

my heart is happy that there is follow up incoming. i’m prepared to follow bertie on his crime solving adventures wherever he heads next.

I loved this book. Written by a true lover of the theatres around the UK. Would really recommend this to anyone who wants a new book to read and will recommend to friends. I think sometimes you judge a book by its cover and for some reason I thought it would be a slow read. I read it in two days flat. Meals were served in silence and I’m not sure what happened in my family’s life over this two days but it was so worth it.

Great read, really enjoyed the book. set in Brighton, in a theatre in the middle of winter, a play writer is invited to see a production of one of his earlier plays - a murder mystery, about a murder acted on stage.. As the saying goes fact becomes truer than fiction and a person is shot dead with a prop gun in the first act.
Set in the Palace Pier Theatre, the play writer and the detective on the case (who have know each other from school) team up to solve the mystery.
Lots of wonderful characters, with many twist and turns in a "like" locked room mystery.

Set on the Brighton Pier in 1930, Death on the Pier tells the story of a play gone wrong.
Bertie Carroll is the play-write of said play and has an evening of fun planned with his old friend detective Hugh Chapman. Whilst watching the opening night performance of the play, they witness the death of Celia Hamilton- a prestigious Actress. This is nothing out of the ordinary though as Celia characters death is part of the storyline. However It’s not long until they realise Celia herself is truly dead. Bertie and Hugh take the investigation on themselves Agatha Christie style!

A fun little read for any fans of the classic who dunnit genre. Easy to follow which is always a positive when there are many suspects. I enjoyed the reveal and that is what pushed me to give this book 4 stars. The only aspect I wasn’t completely on board with was the characters Bertie and Hugh. I didn’t particularly warm to either of them. Their friendship definitely could have been delved into which I didn’t feel it was. Having said that, this is the first of many books involving Bertie so maybe that will be coming later.

4.75 stars

This is a delightful cozy mystery set in a quaint location with a handful of quirky characters. This is a debut novel, but the writer brings a lifetime of theatre/playwriting experience that leaves us with a polished, smooth read.

The story follows mostly Bertie, a playwright who is involved in a real-life murder in the set of his own murder mystery. Alongside with his childhood friend, now police investigator, Hugh, he must work to solve the case.

The details of the theatre itself, along with the day-to-day realities of theatre life are flawless and bring this story to life. Each of the characters has their secrets, even Bertie, who is bewildered initially, but ultimately shows his strength and mental fortitude when it really counts.

There is a hint of gayness, due to the time and location, it is necessarily understated. I would have liked to have seen more of Bertie’s interaction with Hugh, though. At any rate, the story ends on a hopeful note and a promise we haven’t seen the last of Bertie and Hugh!

I’ll be watching for the next installment. Recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and Brabinger for my copy of this book! This book was AMAZING. I loved trying to unravel the mystery, and all the suspects who were presented were pretty good candidates for the murder. I'm very glad that the hints were there for who the murderer was, while also not being too overtly obvious or by creating a red herring so strong that the reveal didn't make sense. I was able to get half of the mystery while I was reading, and it was nice seeing the other half as the murderer was unveiled. This book was well written and very fun to read along with. I see there's a sequel coming out in 2023 and I cannot wait to read it (and I hope Hugh is in it! I enjoyed his character a lot and I kind of hope that <spoiler> he and Bertie will get together at some point </spoiler> though that could very well be wishful thinking on my part. But all in all I loved this book, and I'm definitely going to be seeking out more of this author's work in the future.

This debut novel was great! Everything you want from a whodunnit crime novel! West had really nailed all elements of this classic genre while adding an original twist which I loved even more because of it being set in a theatre. West is beautifully descriptive and informative with his setting, allowing the reader to become engaged and immersed within the story.

West has set up a great group of characters, each quirky and interesting in their own right and bringing these personalities into a whodunnit keeps it light and funny while also being mysterious and captivating. Like with any whodunnit, there are quite a few characters and in other novels ive found it quite hard to keep up with who’s who, but West has a knack of making his characters so different and distinguishable that I didn’t ever find myself confused about who one character was or what their connections across the book were.

I had the best time reading this book. I really didn’t want to put it down. This is certainly one to pick up when you can and with a second novel already on the horizon, West is one to keep an eye on! Highly recommended!

3.75

Well, that was very entertaining.
"Death on the Pier" is a highly enjoyable, riveting, cozy mystery set in the '30s, featuring some of my absolute favourite things in the world: a wonderfully vivid Brighton setting, theatre, an amateur sleuth unwittingly involved in a bit of locked-room murder mystery and a detective (and hopefully, future love interest) that actually encourages the amateur sleuthing, some weirdly compelling, very suspicious side characters, plus a hint of slooooooow-burn romance that I'm already highly invested in.
I absolutely adored the plot: the murder mystery was well constructed, detailed and riveting. I found myself inhaling the book in one setting: I really enjoyed the Agatha Christie-esque atmosphere of the book.
I also adored the meta-theatre aspect of the plot, the play within a play feeling it evoked (or maybe, the murder mystery within a murder mystery play), the dramatic entrances and reveals. All the descriptions and details paint a highly vivid picture and the reader can actually feel how much the author loves and knows about theatre. The Brighton setting was a definitive plus: it's the first time I've seen the city depicted in a novel and since I've visited many, many times (I even saw a show in Brighton, so double kudos for me?), I loved being able to actually visualize the atmosphere and the setting of the novel.

The thing I was missing was character development. I know that cozy mysteries are more about the plot, but I was still missing that *something more* that would have completely made me fall in love with the story. Bertie is an enjoyable narrator, smart and snarky at times, but I was still missing something: his backstory and a better defined personality. I felt the same way about Hugh: we hardly know anything about him, his motives, his personality, the reasons behind his decision to seek out Bertie after all these years. This is the first novel in an upcoming series, so I hope we'll get something more on that front in the next one. I also really hope their relationship gets the place its deserves: I know this isn't a romance, but the chemistry between them is there, so fingers crossed all of that will turn into more.

Anyway, I highly recommend this novel. I'm already looking forward to reading the next one.

At Brighton's Palace Pier Theatre, playwright Bertie Carroll and his friend, policeman Hugh Chapman, are seeing a revival of one of Bertie's earliest plays - a murder mystery starring fading Hollywood actress Celia Hamilton.

Predictably, at the end of the first act on opening night, the corpse proves not to be acting....

Can Bertie solve a real crime? And will he be of any help to Hugh?

A terrific mystery, and I can't wait for more of their adventures

This enjoyable cosy mystery has a great 1930s period setting and geographical - Brighton - location. When an actor shot in the play is really dead at the end surely it has to be one of those on stage? A tight group of characters and a well paced plot keep this book entertaining throughout. I’ll be looking out for the next one in this series!

Thank you, Brabinger, for allowing me to read Death on the Pier early!

I quite enjoyed this queer mystery debut. Historical novels are some of my favorites and this one ticked all the right boxes for me.

I thought the concept of Death on the Pier was interesting: a playwright known for his murder mysteries becomes involved in a real-life murder investigation. As a first novel, it's a creditable attempt but tow things let it down. There is too much description - of everything - and yet there is no evocation of the period, the 1930s. The characters were interesting and they kept me reading to the end but I wish someone had mentioned the 'show, don't tell' concept to the author. A stronger editorial hand would have been beneficial.

A murder mystery writer ends up in an investigation of a murder that happened during one of his plays-brilliant.
While I thought it began a bit slow, the realisation came later on why so much was done setting the stage, pun intended, for the murder. The pacing was done well since it had me questioning all the characters and their motives. A murder mystery done right. I was completely shocked at the revelations that came at the end.

1930s Brighton..on a wet evening. Bertie, a playwright is meeting a friend. He plans to attend the production of one of his plays at the Palace Theatre at the end of the pier…As the cast rehearses for the performance, the tensions are tangible. Celia Hamilton, a former Hollywood actress is the star attraction, but she is there under sufferance and sniping at everyone. And some of the other members of the cast are not happy either..The stage is set for murder!

This was such a delightful, thoroughly original and very cosy murder mystery. There is a keen sense of place as the action moves around Brighton, switching between the sea front, hotels and bed and boarding establishments. The theatre itself is possibly the star with beautiful and intricate descriptions of a theatre sadly no longer here. This frequently feels as though it takes place in black and white as it takes on a very visual journey back in time.. with the conversations, behaviour, social mores and forbidden love being very much of its era..

The story feels like a play within a play and is very cleverly plotted as the police, alongside Bertie and his friend, search for clues amongst stage directions; the script and amongst the theatrical ambitions of the cast.
Five stars for originality - the setting was a joy!

I really enjoyed this and look forward to more by the author. With thanks to Netgalley and Brabinger for my copy of this book.

A fantastic read. The characters & setting really shone. The descriptions of the theatre were wonderfully visual & I'd have loved the chance to have seen it for myself.

I particularly enjoyed the authentic 1930s feel to the characters voices & the hints woven throughout the story. This is a good old fashion murder mystery & I'm already looking forward to hearing more from Jamie & Bertie Carroll.

A Delicious Sprinkling…
A shooting on stage, a live and unsuspecting audience, a playwright and a detective. Bertie Carroll, a successful and renowned playwright, teams up with old school chum Hugh Chapman, now a Chief Detective Inspector as they unravel clues, red herrings aplenty and consider the veritable plethora of suspects. As they investigate the present, something from the past may well emerge. What an utter joy this is! Murder mystery in traditional vein with a delicious sprinkling of the theatre, well crafted and credible characters and a true puzzle at it’s heart.

What a delightful read. The magic and mayhem of opening night, combined with murder and mystery, all set in the glorious 1930s, which adds to the richness of the story because of the colourful glamour of the costumes.

Characters were well drawn and interesting - each of them had a strong personality and a motive, ensuring it wasn’t too easy to figure out whodunnit.

All the references to theatre were lovely touches that enhanced the plot (and led to the answer) - it’s a fabulous debut and start to a series.