1934 Playwright Alice Crawford invited Bertie Carroll to the last matinee performance of her play because an advertisement stated there would be a murder in the third act. After the end of the play a body is discovered and DCI Hugh Chapman investigates. Alice and Bertie decide also to ask questions.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main character.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well crafted murder mystery and I really liked all the characters, especially Bertie and Hugh. I loved the theatre backdrop and how that added to the drama of it. I personally did figure out the culprit way before the end, but that didn’t detract from this over all enjoyable read

In Murder at the Matinee, the second instalment of the Bertie Carroll Mysteries series, we once again find ourselves immersed in the vibrant and intriguing world of 1930s London theatreland. Gay playwright Bertie Carroll is thrust into the centre of a murder investigation when a mysterious newspaper advertisement ominously announces that a murder will occur during a show’s third act.

Rival playwright Alice reaches out to Bertie for his amateur detective skills. Together with Inspector Hugh Chapman, who returns from Death on the Pier, they combine Bertie’s intimate knowledge of the theatre with Chapman’s investigative expertise to unravel the mystery.

Jamie West masterfully crafts a historical mystery that is both engaging and richly detailed, showcasing his extensive knowledge of backstage workings from his day job in theatre. The characters are well-rounded and likeable, making it easy for readers to become invested in their journey. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of Alice, who added a fresh dynamic to the narrative.

While this book can be enjoyed as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first instalment to fully appreciate the character development and backstory.

Much like in Death on the Pier, the chemistry between Bertie and Hugh is clear. However, given that Hugh is a detective and homosexuality was illegal in the UK during the 1930s, their connection is subtly suggested, reflecting the societal constraints and secrecy of the era.

With its Agatha Christie-esque twists, turns, and red herrings, Murder at the Matinee is a captivating whodunnit that will keep readers guessing until the very end. West has once again delivered a compelling narrative that celebrates the allure of the theatrical world.

Murder at the Matinee by Jamie West


🎭Historical mystery, LGBTQ+
📚Book 2 of Bertie Carroll mystery series


I’ve been patiently waiting for this book to come out since I read the first book in this series. I love historical mysteries and this book is no exception. I enjoyed reading about the theatre setting in the 1930s. I always enjoy the old method of investigation, no modern technology and more talks and footwork. The story was so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. I slightly felt Bertie and Hugh solved the murder out of nowhere, but it was still an enjoyable read. 

If you like Agatha Christie books, you will enjoy this book for sure! 


I also enjoyed reading the subtle romantic (or bromance) feeling between Bertie and Hugh. In this book, it explained more why Hugh has to act the way he is and how Bertie feels. Their relationship added more depth to the story and I’m investing in them. 


This is such a quick and cosy read. I can’t wait to read the next book already.

Set in the late 1930s in London’s vibrant West End theatre land. Bertie, a playwright, receives a call out of the blue from Alice Crawford, another celebrated playwright, whose play “Time to kill” is just coming to the end of a successful 12 week run. An announcement has been placed in the paper warning the audience that there will be a “terrifying and very real murder” in the third act of the final matinee performance.

Bertie is drawn into this intriguing and rather ominous situation with Alice citing his success the previous year in Brighton as making him ideal to help her out. Bertie takes his seat in the auditorium for the performance, wondering if again he was going to witness a murder on stage and hoping that history was not going to repeat itself. The performance continues with a growing sense of anticipation and suspense. There then follows an unexpected sequence of events.

This is a well researched book with excellent attention to detail around the theatrical world of this period and the inner workings of a theatre. The characters are well developed and I particularly liked the dynamics between Bertie and Alice and also between Bertie and Chief Inspector Hugh Chapman. There is a good balance of intrigue, suspense and humour in this quick paced story. A highly recommended read and I’m looking forward to more of Bertie’ adventures. Five stars without a doubt.

Having enjoyed the first murder solved by Bertie Carroll, I was looking forward to a return to the 1930s theatre world and this didn't disappoint. I did guess who the murderer was early on but some of the finer details to the plan were cleverly plotted right until the end. Thoroughly enjoyed this cosy crime!

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

As a lover of matinees at the theatre and a fan of Agatha Christie it was likely that this book would appeal to me and I confirm that it lived up to expectations. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Bertie Carroll is an illustrious 1930s gay playwright, and amateur detective, whose murder mysteries have bought him fame and wide acclaim.

Bertie returns to London’s West End and vibrant theatre world.

A phone call from rival playwright and friend, Alice Crawford, asking him to come and help thwart a murder!
The murder was boldly advertised in the newspaper, saying it would happen in the third act of the Matinee.
Only there is no murder in the third act!

What follows is a classic whodunnit.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.
Very reminiscent of Poirot and Miss Marple and I could easily see these books being adapted for tv or streaming.

I will be recommending this book to all my friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brabinger Publishing for this eARC

This is book 2 in the Bertie Carroll mysteries books by Jamie West.

I haven't read the first one, but clearly they can be read as a standalone as I didn't feel that I had missed massive chunks of Bertie's life. And, there was just slight nods to the previous books storyline.

Murder At The Matinee is set in 1930s London in the middle of the west end. The whole story is reminiscent of the good ole whodunit murder mysteries. There's a whole cast of suspicious characters to point the finger of blame at. Then we have the detective and the playwright solving the case, slowly but surely deducing the evidence. And, getting lots of "aha" moments.

Cosy crime at it's finest. Jamie West sets the scenes well. Jamie works in the west end and he brings his experience and expertise flooding onto the pages. Bringing the story to life. He uses all our senses to immerse us into the story.

The Theatrical world, at least in Fiction, is populated by people who are theatrical, i.e. prone to be dramatic, or at least exaggerated in their normal life. When a small ad in a trade paper states that someone will really be murdered during an upcoming matinee performance of a murder-mystery at The Gaiety theatre, many people assume it is just a publicity stunt designed to boost sales. The playwright, Alice Crawford, and the theatre management know that this is not the case and reassure the cast that there will be no risk. However, Alice is concerned that it is not just a practical joke, and calls in Bertie Caroll, a rival writer but one who has a reputation as a sleuth having solved a murder a few months earlier. Bertie acknowledges that it is odd, but doesn’t seem particularly worried, and this view appears to be vindicated when the matinee ends without problems.
Alice, Bertie, and most of the cast repair to Romano’s Restaurant for a meal before the evening performance, only to be interrupted by Detective Inspector Hugh Chapman who arrives to inform them that the leading man, Anthony Debenham, has been murdered. His wife, Katherine, was leading lady in the show but any suspicions the police might have of her are swiftly assuaged because she is here in Romano’s in the company of reporter Margo Murray, having met at the theatre. So they alibi each other, as do Bertie and Alice, and in fact the rest of the cast and assorted theatre workers seem to cross alibi each other. Hugh, an old friend of Bertie’s with whom he had solved the previous murder, thus has a lot of potential suspects none of whom were in the theatre at the crucial time. The pair team up once more and start to unravel the puzzle.
This is the second book featuring Bertie and Hugh, but it works as a standalone because there is no real carry over except for the nature of their friendship, which is ambiguous. The story is set in 1934, at which time homosexuality was illegal (Male only, Female homosexuality was never a crime). The tentative bromance of the previous book is more obviously something else here, but while Bertie can at least go to ‘bohemian’ clubs Hugh cannot display any overt signs since it is actually his job to arrest people for ‘gross indecency’. The style of the book is reminiscent of golden age detective stories and clearly falls into the Cosy Crime category. I spotted the solution very early on, so I didn’t get very involved in the story. Readers who like to work out the ending of such books will find it underwhelming, but it will be a nice light read for many others.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Having read and enjoyed Death on the Pier by this author I was really looking forward to reading Murder at the Matinee and it did not disappoint. I love reading books with a theatrical setting and Jamie West certainly knows his subject well.
Set in the Golden Age of the 1930’s, we are reintroduced to Bertie Carroll, amateur detective and playwright who first appeared in Death on the Pier. This time the crime concerns the murder of the leading actor in his friend Alice’s play. Bertie joins with his friend Hugh, a Scotland Yard detective to solve the mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, as a huge Agatha Christie fan I was impressed with just how readable this was. The characters were entertaining and there was a suitable amount of twists and turns to keep me interested until the end. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Book 2 in the Bertie Carroll series, Murder at the Matinee is set in 1934 at the historic Gaiety Theatre in London's West End. Bertie has been contacted by fellow playwright Alice Crawford who had seen a disturbing advert in the local newspaper referring to a crime that was going to be committed during the closing matinee performance of her play Time To Kill. Bertie is only too happy to help and is soon well into the investigation with his old friend DCI Hugh Chapman.

This was a quick and easy to read cosy mystery that would certainly appeal to fans of theatre as the authors expertise in this area shines through.

Digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Brabinger Publishing

The book offers a charming premise with its unique pairing of characters—a detective and a playwright—who delve into the intricacies of the case with a mix of deduction and drama. The historical backdrop adds an engaging layer to the narrative, though at times, I found the setting a bit confusing and difficult to place.

The queer characters adds depth and diversity to the story. However, the book felt heavy on the investigative (+personal drama) details and left me feeling somewhat indifferent. The writing is alright though didn’t fully captivate me. The story has potentia and if you enjoy detailed sleuthing and historical settings, this might be worth a read.

I liked the book more than I expected.

Story and plot wise it was good but the writing style was what caught my attention more. It is quite flowy and smooth and I loved how easily I could turn the pages.

I wish I would have read Book 1 first, to gain more insight into Bertie but the book can still be read as a standalone.

My only complaint is that Bertie doesn't seem to have much character, so I am hoping to see some character growth in the next book (yes, I will definitely continue the series).

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is book 2 of the Bertie Carroll Mysteries. Bertie Carroll is a famous playwright, who is asked by a rival, Alice Crawford, to unravel a mystery of the ad placed in The Era saying there will be a murder during act 3 of the final matinee performance of her play at the Gaiety Theatre. Bertie is intrigued by the notion and sets about finding out why in this Golden Age Whodunnit! Shortly afterwards, a body is discovered, enter stage right, Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Chapman of Scotland Yard! I love how the characters are written and how they interact with each other. Hugh asking Bertie to help solve the crime was a delight as their dynamic is brilliant. All the sub plots with a few red herrings thrown in, lead this plot to a exhilarating conclusion! More Bertie, Hugh and Gertie please.

"Renowned murder mystery playwright Bertie Carroll returns, this time in London's West End, to solve the mystery of an impossible murder and the newspaper advert that preceded it.

Following on from the success of Death on the Pier, gay playwright detective Bertie Carroll returns for the second book in this golden-age-style whodunnit series, set in the exciting world of theatreland in 1930s London.

An unexpected phone call from a rival playwright puts Bertie centre stage in another mystery. Can he help unravel the motive behind a mysterious newspaper advert that boldly declares a murder will take place during a show's third act? There's only one problem, there is no murder in the third act of the play!

When a victim is discovered and the police are brought in, Bertie and Inspector Hugh Chapman get thrown awkwardly back together as they both work to find the killer.

The spotlight falls on each suspect in turn and, this time, even Bertie is not above suspicion. But can rivalries and differences be put aside to solve this devious murder?"

I love the trope of announcing a murder will happen, combine it with theatrical thrills, and this is just the book for me.

Jamie West has delivered another fun, cosy, exciting murder mystery with Murder at the Matinee.

I loved being back with Bertie and Hugh and the theatre. I was so sad when I thought they weren’t going to be working together and was so glad when I’d been over dramatically wrong.

Bertie is such an easy character to love. He’s gentle and affable and I think it’s him more than anything that makes me classify these books as cosy. It’s like settling in with an old friend.

The murder mystery was fun. Another somewhat closed-door mystery, which I don’t read nearly enough of. I didn’t pick the murderer at all, though I’m never very good at that to begin with, but it sure kept me guessing.

If you’re looking for a light murder mystery to read in the upcoming season, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Uh-oh… according to Amazon, this is “perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and, of course, Agatha Christie” which is usually not a good sign. But it is clear that Jamie West is something of a student of Christie’s style as this gets a lot closer than most.
The book does claim the crime is an “impossible murder” but it’s more of a “no one could have done it” rather than the body being found in a room locked from the inside sort of thing… Having said that, the trick that the murderer uses is right out of the traditional playbook. It’s a variation of something that I’ve seen a couple of times before, and it’s odd that the impossible aspect isn’t played up a bit more as it’s a nicely simple and clever solution. There are even clues…
On to the characters, and the theatre background and characters are beautifully created and distinct. Bertie himself is a lovely character, and his friendship – or possibly more - with Hugh is very well done. The pedantic might point out that it’s not the sort of thing that would have turned up in a Golden Age book, but despite this, the book reads like something from the classic crime era – a number of suspects and motives, clues… I’d have preferred a slightly more surprising murderer but I was having a lot of fun with this so didn’t really care.

For me, this was a welcome return of Bertie and life in he 1930’s. Jamie West is very good at setting the scene for this period. The storyline is good, everything is believable and I like the characters. Waiting for Jamie’s third novel in this series now!

A quick and fun read, with well-developed characters, albeit not all of them pleasant. I guessed the murderer early on in the book, but it was fun to follow the investigative process as they were unmasked. Although it is the second book in this new-to-me series, I didn’t feel that I had missed any background, and shall probably read the first of the Bertie Carroll mysteries before too long.