I enjoyed the community theater setting, which lends itself naturally to a lot of tension and intrigue. The home renovation element was also fun.

As their popular Domestic Partners Home Design TV show goes on hiatus, it’s the perfect time for actor JP Broadway and his fiancé Peter “PJ” Penwell to take to the stage. The bestselling author of teen mysteries, PJ has written the original play Blue Tuesday about two couples impacted by one momentous day. Their local community troupe will be presenting the production and starring JP with a renowned Michigan theatre director coming in to direct. It doesn’t take long for Peter to intentionally start to mispronounce Xander Sherwood Deva’s name as “Dee-va,” as the diva of a director shows up late, bullies the actors, and refuses to consult with any of the production. Perhaps his biggest sin is in refusing to believe that the rather metrosexual “Fairway Bob” Kravitz is straight, forcing the uncomfortable amateur actor into kissing JP in rehearsal an unnecessary number of times. Not many will be mourning when Xander takes a permanent Exit Stage Right, strangled to death by the long Burberry scarf he was so proud of and always insisted on wearing.

Pleasant Woods Police Detective Nicholas Paczki designates the death as an unfortunate accident caused by a scarf meeting a very old rotating fan, but Xander’s Lads4Dads app hookup Hunter Bellamy refuses to believe it. While JP may have only played a detective on television and PJ the writer of fictional YA mysteries, they have admittedly had some success solving local murders. So a plea from Hunter has them following up on the long list of Xander Deva’s enemies from the theater critic devoted to destroying his work to the Royal Heights Players director who was replaced by the more famous Xander. When not fitting in rehearsals – the show must go on, it seems – or looking for their next Forever Home renovation project, JP and Peter attempt to make another Fur-Ever home for a needy Jack Russell, even if their half-beagle Clyde proves to be less than receptive.

This second in the series is as delightful as the first, full of quick-witted banter and Peter’s humorous observations. Details surrounding a community theatre’s stage production are as fun as they are fascinating, with the outsized personalities adding scenes of endless entertainment. Readers may find themselves as uncomfortably torn as PJ and Peter with the dilemma of Fairway Bob, who is baffled by others’ refusal to believe that he is not gay. While his confusion and assertions that he has a girlfriend – one who might as well live in Canada – is undeniably amusing, it is also a problematic situation that could easily lead to violence. Fortunately, JP and Peter are compassionate friends to have on one’s side, and their dedication to helping out those in their diverse Detroit suburb is admirable. Theatre life, home renovation advice, and an abundance of doggy antics make this a delightful read sure to please those looking for a light-hearted, very funny mystery.

Peter’s first play is having its world premiere at Pleasant Woods’s community theater. His handsome one and only, JP, has the lead. Rehearsals have begun. And New York City’s award-winning, hotshot helmer, Xander Sherwood Deva, is directing. Unfortunately the controlling, arrogant, poison-barbed, egomaniacal diva has everyone on edge. No wonder he finally pushes someone over it. This is the second in the series and a fun read! Definitely a cozy read and cute story!

Book Review: Rehearsed to Death by Frank Anthony Polito

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

In Rehearsed to Death, the second installment of the exciting new “Domestic Partners” series by Frank Anthony Polito, readers are introduced to a delightful blend of mystery and cozy charm. Set in suburban Detroit, this queer cozy mystery follows a gay couple who find themselves entangled in a murder investigation while renovating houses for their hit reality show, Domestic Partners. As they venture into the world of community theater, their lives take an unexpected turn as deadly secrets unravel on and off the stage.

The story revolves around Peter, a playwright whose debut play is premiering at Pleasant Woods’ community theater. His partner, the handsome JP, takes on the lead role, and with the addition of New York City’s renowned director, Xander Sherwood Deva, the excitement is palpable. However, Xander’s controlling and egomaniacal nature quickly turns rehearsals into a tense environment. When he is found strangled to death with his own luxurious scarf, Peter and JP become amateur sleuths determined to solve the crime before opening night.

One of the standout features of this book is its unique setting. The author vividly captures the essence of Detroit, providing readers with a refreshing backdrop for the unfolding mystery. The local theater setting adds an extra layer of intrigue and charm, making it an engaging read for theater enthusiasts. Additionally, the character of Fairway Bob brings delightful quirkiness to the story, adding depth and humor to the narrative.

While Rehearsed to Death presents an intriguing premise and captivating setting, there were aspects that hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. Firstly, the writing style did not resonate with me. I found it somewhat lacking in terms of pacing and flow, which made the reading experience feel slow at times. However, this is subjective, and others may find the writing style more appealing.

Despite my reservations about the writing style, I appreciate the author’s attempt to venture beyond the traditional cozy mystery formula. By introducing representation within the genre, Polito offers a fresh perspective that is both inclusive and diverse. This book serves as a welcome addition to the mystery genre.

In conclusion, Rehearsed to Death by Frank Anthony Polito is a mixed bag but still worth exploring for fans of cozy mysteries looking for something different. The colorful and eye-catching cover immediately draws attention to this unique cozy series. While the writing style may not work for everyone, the Detroit setting and theatrical backdrop add an intriguing twist to the story. With its fair share of strengths and weaknesses, this book opens up new possibilities for future queer cozy mysteries and offers readers a chance to delve into an unexplored niche within the genre.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Here is the first paragraph of the description of Rehearsed To Death:

"Hart to Hart via HGTV, this fabulous new quozy (queer cozy) mystery series by award-winning author and playwright Frank Anthony Polito’s features a gay couple who solve crimes while renovating houses in suburban Detroit as part of their hit reality show Domestic Partners. Now, their foray into community theater proves a major risk thanks to some deadly improvisation . . ."

When I was a wee lass, I LOVED Hart to Hart, the best detectives on TV! So it's no wonder I enjoy this new series by Mr. Polito. This is the second book in his series, and it's rare in two ways. 1. Instead of one amateur slueth we have an engaged couple--fun! I like having a couple instead of someone all on their own. 2. The couple in question is gay, there aren't very many cozy mysteries that have gay characters.

In this book, the action and drama takes place on and off the stage as PJ's play Blue Tuesday is being produced and JP is the male lead. I really enjoyed that in book one the focus was on their HDTV show and now in this book we have a focus on the play and the theater, a change of venue, really fun.

The story is told from PJ's point of view, almost as if we are reading his diary and I like this style. If you read this book, keep in mind that this is going to be filled with humor alongside the more serious themes of murder and whatnot!

4 Stars for Rehearsed To Death

Thank you Net Galley for the electronic ARC, all opinions are my own!

Over the years my reading choices have often been books that surprise me, that teach me something new. I picked up "Rehearsed to Death", because it was about theatre, an HGTV hit reality show, and Detroit. It was a fun quozy mystery mixed with romance, rescued dogs, and Mini Coopers.

FIRST LINE: "As cohost of a popular home renovation show, I had a few principles to which I prescribed:
If you're going to do something, do it right.
Don't pay someone to do a project you can do yourself.
Every project ultimately takes longer than you estimate it will."

THE STORY: Partners JP and Peter created 'Domestic Partners' (think 'Bargain Block'). During a break between seasons, playwright Peter has an opportunity to see his play produced locally with JP starring and directed by a first rate (and terribly unpleasant) director, Xander Sherwood Deva. Shortly before the show is to open, Deva is found strangled by his own elaborate neck scarf. Was it an accident or murder?

WHAT I THOUGHT: Frank Anthony Pollito has created a series that will be a favorite of many readers. Peter is the narrator and scattered throughout are mentions of special things (from Michigan and beyond) like Sanders Bumpy Cake, Creamora, and Carnegie Mellon University. It made the book lots of fun even though the plot construction was uneven. Some characters are more fully developed than others but the description of clothing especially on the well-dressed is great.

BOTTOM LINE: This is the second title, after "Renovated to Death", in the Domestic Partners in Crime Mystery and has gathered a lot of interest from cozy/quozy readers. The author reads the audiobook version which has gotten some nice comments too.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "Rehearsed to Death" was provided to me by Kensington Books/Net Galley for an honest review.

I hadn't read the first book in this series but didn't think I needed to. Overall, a fun story although there was a little too bit much at the end and sometimes the language was a bit stilted. I did enjoy PJ as the narrator and really thought he seemed like a nice guy (and a real person) -- except that he was a little TSTL (the S in this case being stupid.) I get fairly annoyed when amateur detectives not only don't call the police, they actively hide evidence.
I wish we had gotten to know some of the suspects a bit more but, while we really got to know some of them, others were just sketches. It made it hard to be invested in finding the murderer.
PJ's play is going to be performed at the local theater but, rather than having the usual director, Violet the mayor's wife, there is a Big Name, Xander Sherwood Deva who comes in. And, for being in town such a short time, he manages to piss off a large number of people. So it's not a big surprise that he ends up dead, strangled with the fancy scarf he was so proud of throwing around.
JP and PJ aren't just a playwright and actor, they also star on a home renovation show. Oh, and they're going to tackle this murder.

Three stars
This book comes out May 23, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I had a great time with this book! I liked the first book in this series quite a bit so I was eager to see what might happen in this second installment. When I noticed that the audiobook was available from my local library, I decided to grab a copy and spent much of my time with this book listening to the audio while following along in the book. I found this installment to be incredibly entertaining.

PJ (Peter) and JP are involved in a play that Peter wrote and JP will act in. They have a known director signed on so things look promising. Unfortunately, that director proves to be incredibly difficult to work with. After the director is found dead, Peter and JP decide to try to find out if it was an accident or if someone could be responsible for his death. I thought that the mystery was very done and while I figured out a few things, some things kept me guessing until the very end.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the author did a great job of reading this story. He easily bought this wonderful cast of characters to life and I thought that he added just the right amount of emotion and excitement to his reading. He definitely knows the story and turned out to be the perfect choice for the narrator. I do believe that his performance added to my enjoyment of the story.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I thought that it was a fun cozy and I love that it featured LGBT+ characters. This is the second book in the Domestic Partners in Crime series but could easily work as a stand-alone. I can’t wait to read more of this entertaining series!

I received a review copy of this book from Kensington Books.

I missed the first book in the series but I will have to rectify that.
Interesting characters and premise, but the amateur theatre trope is a bit overdone in the cozy world.
I did enjoy it and will read further books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Peter and JP are becoming a favorite couple of amateur sleuth as I love their humour and their personality.
They remind me some friend of mine and I like how this novels describe how a gay couple life is exactly like any other couple and how the LGBTQ+ community is just people regardless of the gender or sexual orientation.
This means that this a good story and there’s a solid mystery. I didn’t like the victim even if he made me think of Oscar Wilde in the XXI century.
There’s a lot of twists, there’s a dog, and there’s an entertaining and compelling plot that kept me guessing.
There’s humour, a lot of witty dialogues, and a cast of fleshed out characters.
I can’t wait to read the next story.
Many thanks to Kensington Cozies for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Peter is a playwright and his play is being produced at the local community theater. The timing is good because the home renovation tv series he and his partner star in is on break and JP has the lead in the play. Needless to say they are eager for the show to go on. Things turn sour when the obnoxious, oh so full of himself director shows up. He is mean, nasty...just about everything he does and says rubs the cast the wrong way. Even his name is imposing - Xander Sherwood Deva which he pronounces Day-vah but everyone thinks "DIVA" and that cashmere scarf he wears, flinging it around for emphasis. If I saw on stage with him I'd be itching to grab it and wring his neck with it. It then comes as no surprise when he is found dead and the cast immediately thinks murder. The list of suspects is as long as the list of the cast and crew but so is the list of possible motives. Time for Peter and JP to, once again, track down the killer.
This series is one in the new cozy sub genres known as quozy (queer cozy). If you are not a fan of cozies or of LGBTQIA themes and characters then this series should be a miss for you. For myself, I enjoy cozies and I'm glad to see it evolving. The mystery was complex enough to keep me engaged and the partners in crime Peter and JP are a pair I really like. They have earned their spot on my TBR list.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rehearsed to Death: A Domestic Partners Mystery
By Frank A. Polito
Kensington
May 23, 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

As their popular Domestic Partners Home Design TV show goes on hiatus, it’s the perfect time for actor JP Broadway and his fiancé Peter “PJ” Penwell to take to the stage. The bestselling author of teen mysteries, PJ has written the original play “Blue Tuesday” about two couples impacted by one momentous day. Their local community troupe will be presenting the production and starring JP, with a renowned Michigan theatre director coming in to direct. It doesn’t take long for Peter to intentionally start to mispronounce Xander Sherwood Deva’s name as “Dee-va,” as the diva of a director shows up late, bullies the actors, and refuses to consult with any of the production. Perhaps his biggest sin is in refusing to believe that the rather metrosexual “Fairway Bob” Kravitz is straight, forcing the uncomfortable amateur actor into kissing JP in rehearsal an unnecessary number of times. Not many will be mourning when Xander takes a permanent Exit Stage Right, strangled to death by the long Burberry scarf he was so proud of and always insisted on wearing.

Pleasant Woods Police Detective Nicholas Paczki designates the death as an unfortunate accident caused by a scarf meeting a very old rotating fan, but Xander’s Lads4Dads app hookup Hunter Bellamy refuses to believe it. While JP may have only played a detective on television and PJ the writer of fictional YA mysteries, they have admittedly had some success solving local murders. So a plea from Hunter has them following up on the long list of Xander Deva’s enemies, from the theater critic devoted to destroying his work to the Royal Heights Players director who was replaced by the more famous Xander. When not fitting in rehearsals – the show must go on, it seems – or looking for their next Forever Home renovation project, JP and Peter attempt to make another Fur-Ever home for a needy Jack Russell, even if their half-beagle Clyde proves to be less than receptive.

This second in the series is as delightful as the first, full of quick-witted banter and Peter’s humorous observations. Details surrounding a community theatre’s stage production are as fun as they are fascinating, with the outsized personalities adding scenes of endless entertainment. Readers may find themselves as uncomfortably torn as PJ and Peter with the dilemma of Fairway Bob, who is baffled by others’ refusal to believe that he is not gay. While his confusion and assertions that he has a girlfriend – one who might as well live in Canada – is undeniably amusing, it is also a problematic situation that could easily lead to violence. Fortunately, JP and Peter are compassionate friends to have on one’s side, and their dedication to helping out those in their diverse Detroit suburb is admirable. Theatre life, home renovation advice, and an abundance of doggy antics make this a delightful read sure to please those looking for a light-hearted, very funny mystery.

I loved this book! The thing I love about cozy mysteries is that while there is a murder to solve, the heart of the books revolve around the characters, their daily lives and the community. Well this book has a lot of heart! I love the main character Pete (PJ) and his partner JP, their dogs and their community. I would love to meet Fairway Bob or attend a night of Drag Queen Queereoke with the guys.

This particular book revolves around the mysterious death of the director at the community theatre that is putting on Pete’s play. The director was not well liked which led to multiple suspects. And while I had a suspicion of who did it (and even have it flagged early on) I was still surprised by the final twist and reveal and loved that I guessed wrong.

Rehearsed to Death is the second entry in the Domestic Partners cozy mystery series. This series also fits under the newly formed "quozy" subgenre, which is, as far as I understand it, a cozy mystery that features main characters on the LGBTQIA spectrum. The main characters, a romantic couple, are JP and Pete. JP is an actor and Pete is a writer. Together they star on a reality TV show on home renovation. As queer characters are finally being allowed into the mainstream, some of us are meeting characters with life experiences outside our own. If you would like a little more diversity in your reading but don't want anything too far out of your comfort zone, I would say the Domestic Partner Mysteries and other quozies are a good place to start. Cozy mysteries are known for their gentler depiction of the world. And this is true for Rehearsed to Death. The characters are great, the mystery is solid and there is very minimal description of violence or sexual situations. Pete and JP are a very solid couple together and apart they are both characters you feel like you'd want to know in real life. The reader can't help but root for them and look forward to their next adventures.

PJs play is being produced but wait- there's a murder! PJ and JP, partners at work and in life, find themselves sorting through suspects at the theater for answers, I tried, I tried but as with the first novel, I had trouble keeping PJ and JP straight (not a pun). This is a campy cozy and I do like the different take on the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC,

Rehearsed to Death by Frank Anthony Pollo is the delightful return to the A Domestic Partners in Crime cozy mystery series. This is book #2 but it could easily be read as a standalone.

I was really excited to dive back into this series. I adore the concept of these books, the main couple & their lovely town.

This series revolves around domestic partners & HGTV host partners of their show Domestic Partners, Peter & JP as they navigate their life in an interesting town. Peter is having his first play premiere in their local theatre with JP set to star when a hotshot director bulldozes into town leaving chaos in his wake. The couple returns to theatre one night only to stumble upon the body of said hotshot director leaving questions unanswered on the director’s final curtain call.

I thought the author did a lovely job of creating a multi-layered story with enough activities & side stories to keep the reader entertained throughout while also still leaving them guessing until the end trying to solve the mystery. I wasn’t able to solve this one as easily as the first, which I always appreciate! I really love Peter & JP as a couple as well as their interesting jobs as reality stars & their other work as writer/actor respectively. The town is such a picturesque place for which I would love to visit. The townspeople are such an interesting cast of characters. All together it creates a wonderful setting & premise setup for perfect for mystery & mayhem.

This would make for a great Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series that I would happily watch. Drag Queen Queeroake is still my favorite thing, which I would love to go to.

For anyone looking for an entertaining cozy mystery series, I would recommend this one! & I hope there are more in this series!


Massive thanks to NetGalley & Kensington Books for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will post on my social media & Amazon around release date & add links once I do.

If you liked the first in the series, you will enjoy this one. I love a mystery set in the theatre. Frank Anthony Polito knows the theatre world and that comes through in this quozy.

This was a fun read! It was a bit out of my comfort genre, but it was refreshing and good. I found myself enjoying the mystery aspects and wanting to skim past the romance. But I still enjoyed the overall story.

I enjoyed Rehearsed to Death it was fun seeing the action in a play behind the scenes. The story was fun and it had a lot of twists and turns. There were several people I suspected of the death of the director of the play. He was difficult to get along with, had no regard for the feelings of others and loved to argue and harass the play members. He was a character you love to hate, I really thought several people had motive so it was fun to read and solve the story.

I chose this book because I (a) adore reality TV and (b) love theatre - and this book certainly does not disappoint on either! And bonus, (c) cozy mystery comfort read!

But what I really loved is the author's voice! Main character Pete (PJ) is such a vivid, vibrant character! This story made me want to chase down book one, just to read more in Polito's signature tone!

Did I mention Pete's also a writer? Such a delicious character!

"The catty queer in me went to a dark place... Dangled like a carrot over a hungry rabbit in a cage, it killed me, the hold Xander Sherwood Deva held with regards to my artistic future. To many, I appeared mild mannered and easygoing. But as a Scorpio born on the cusp of Sagittarius (with a Leo rising and an Aries moon), if someone double-crossed me, my sting could be lethal."

Is there a mystery as the main plot device? Yes. Does the main character solve said mystery? Also yes. But would I read this book without it? Obviously, yes.