Keeping in the theme of drag queens after attending a Drag Queen Story Hour this past weekend, I was excited to be reading this cozy mystery set around the drag queen and king scene in London. This mystery did not disappoint. It was smart, at times funny, and well-plotted, with an endearing cast of characters. Joe is much more comfortable facing the world as Misty, but even then, questioning her friends and trying to figure out who among them may be a murderer, is not easy. Misty cannot imagine any of her friends could be a killer. I adored Miles, the supporting partner, who tries to temper Joe's occasional impulsive decisions and never fails to be there for them. The glamour and sparkle of drag queen life is just as present in Murder in the Dressing Room as the offstage struggles the characters face in their daily lives. Although a cozy mystery, I appreciated that the author included a glimpse at the discrimination LGBTQ+ face, in drag or not, whether it be from a insensitive detective or an uber driver. This was such an entertaining and twisty mystery novel. I look forward to seeing what Holly Stars has instore for Misty next.

When drag queen Misty discovers the body of her drag mother, Lady Lady, in her dressing room, she's distraught. Lady Lady was her mentor and supporter, and the owner of the club in which she performs. But the lead detective seems to be more interested in the dress Lady Lady was wearing and solving a potential robbery than finding out who killed her--not to mention that he seems to have no problem misgendering Misty and everyone else at the club. So Misty, and her alter ego, Joe, set out to solve the crime themselves.

I love cozy mysteries and I adore this spin on it--I've certainly never read a mystery starring a drag queen before, and it's a fun, unique variant. I was a bit worried when I started the book, though, as the beginning is very much tell and not enough show; we get loads of exposition and backstory that could have been dolled out throughout the book or in a different manner. However, after the first few chapters, things really pick up and its a fun read! It's also a very clever crime, and I was giddy at how everything came together. Some things I predicted, but others I didn't, which is the best kind of ending! I hope we get to see more Misty!

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

Thank you Berkley for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I am a huge fan of Ru Paul’s drag race, which was one of the first pieces of media that introduced me into the beauty of drag, so when I saw this title in my inbox I had to read it. And it was so much fun! I switched from the e-copy to the audio and loved it so much. I found it so much fun, engaging, and entertaining. It also touches on identity, the beauty of true expression, and vulnerability. All things that drag really celebrates!

Synopsis:

“By day, Joe is a hotel accountant, invisibly sitting behind their desk and playing by the rules. By night, donned in sequins, they take to the stage as Misty Divine, a star of the London drag scene.But when Misty’s drag mother, Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room beside a poisoned box of chocolates, Misty and her fellow performers become the prime suspects.Heartbroken by the loss, and frustrated by the clear biases of the police, Misty must solve the crime before the culprit strikes again. Among the drop-dead gorgeous lurks a cutthroat killer, and Misty Divine won't rest until she finds out who it is.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Mystery—I really didn’t see the twist coming at the end! Which I feel like is the mark of a successful mystery.

The Characters—I loved getting to know all the characters. I was particularly moved by Miles and Joe’s relationship and the inner relationship between Misty and Joe. These are the books people need to read to understand people who are different from them.

The Audio Production—It was SO good! The author reads it and the personal connection is so special.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

The Pacing—I switched to the audio and found it much more engaging than the e-book reading experience!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

murder, death, transphobia, homophobia, grief

Murder in the Dressing Room is the first novel in the Misty Devine Mystery series, and I absolutely loved it. From start to finish, I literally couldn’t put this book down. I even bought the audiobook (narrated by the author!) so I could keep listening at work because it was such a phenomenal read.

We all know how much I love an author narrated book. Almost as much as I love a cozy mystery. And here my friends is a cozy mystery that centers around an amazing group of Drag Queens and Kings.  Our main character is Joe (a clever pun on ‘average Joe?!), who spends their day toiling away at a job they know isn’t their calling. But by night on the stage at Lady’s Bar, Average Joe is transformed into Misty Devine, a force to be reckoned with. 

When her best friend, mentor, boss, and Drag Mother, Lady Lady is found murdered, Misty finds herself one of the prime suspects. With her parter Miles at her side and input from her hunky Solicitor Colin, Misty sets out to clear her name once and for all.
The red herrings are expertly crafted, and almost every character seems like a viable suspect at some point. It’s got the bones classic whodunit a la Agatha Christie’s mysteries, but with a fabulous drag twist. The book is packed with witty one-liners that will make you laugh and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Since I both read and listened to the audiobook, I’d also call this an audio review. I was thrilled to discover that the author, Holly Stars, narrated the book. The narration is fantastic, with subtle yet distinct adjustments when switching between Joe and Misty. It added so much personality to the story
Considering this is listed as the first book in the Misty Devine Mystery series and ends with a semi cliffhanger (a dire warning from a twice mentioned character) I think it’s safe to expect more adventures from Misty/Joe, Miles, and the rest of the crew. Personally, I’m hoping that hunky Colin gets more page time in the next book! I think he could be a great side kick for Misty. 

A huge thank you to the author, Holly Stars, the publisher, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. I’m already looking forward to what’s next in the series!

A cozy murder mystery featuring a drag queen turned amateur detective = a fabulous, can't-put-it-down read!!

I enjoyed this book so much! I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down! There was such an amazing, diverse, and unique cast of characters; I adored Misty Divine!! I love a good whodunit and this is one I'll definitely be recommending!

It looks like there will be more Misty Divine books in the future (I hope!) Looking forward to more!💋

This is a really fun mystery, which is also touching. Joe is a shy quiet accountant. Who for fun is the drive performer Misty Devine. When Misty‘s mentor is murdered, there must be a murder so with the help of all the other drag performers. This book is entertaining, and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. I love the characters and the dialogue Was fun and entertaining from start to finish.

Misty Divine notices that her boss Lady Lady, proprietor of The Lady Bar and fellow drag queen seems preoccupied. Lady Lady is also wearing a dress that is out of character for her. After her act, Misty goes to see Lady Lady and finds her dead. So Misty (or Joe) decides to investigate and attempt to solve the murder on their own, and against the wishes of their boyfriend Miles.
I would categorize this as a cozy mystery.They aren't my favorite genre, so that may be tainting my feelings. I enjoyed most of the book, but the last 50 pages or so seemed unlikely to happen, it was just a little too pat. I was interested to read all the steps the queens take to get themselves into the costumes.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Holly Stars for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

If you looked at Joe during the day, you'd probably see a shy, quiet, and unassuming hotel accountant, one who comes to work, puts their head down, and keeps to themselves. But when night falls, Joe takes the stage as Misty Divine, a drag queen with a larger-than-life persona who longs to make their mentor and drag mother, Lady Lady, proud. All of these dreams come crashing down in a horrifying way, however, when Lady Lady is found dead in their dressing room one evening...leaving the cadre of drag queens who inhabit the club as suspects. Since Misty was the one to FIND Lady Lady, they find themselves in the middle of the investigation...and unfortunately, a prime suspect.

What Misty knows, however, is that Lady Lady must have been a target...and there HAS to be a bigger plan in motion. After all, Lady Lady was found with a incredibly rare and valuable Judy Garland dress in their room, and Lady Lady met their demise by poisoned chocolate: this was a carefully orchestrated death and Misty is determined to avenge Lady Lady. As such, they decide to take matters into their own hands and pursue the investigation themselves...even if it puts them square in the crosshairs of the REAL killer. But with so many suspects in play and a wholly unknown motive, can Misty find the killer BEFORE the killer finds...and silences...them?

I am always a bit wary of cozy mysteries, only because I've had such mixed experiences reading them, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sold on giving this one a shot based on the eye-catching cover and the premise alone. When I think of drag queens, I think of Ru Paul, and BIG personalities...and of course, HUMOR, which I have always found prevalent in these shows and with these personas. But unfortunately, when it came to Murder in the Dressing Room, I was missing ALL of the sparkle, sizzle, and sass...and was left with the same sort of tired armchair investigation I've found in so many other reads: the kind that feels more like a boring, stale re-run of Law and Order than a fun and thrilling mystery.

For characters who were SUPPOSED to be larger-than-life, I spent so much time wanting them to just be FUN, or have a sense of humor...even for a minute or two! Joe/Misty was so fixated on playing detective every minute of every day that I frankly got tired of hearing "I have to solve the mystery" or some iteration of this sentiment over and over and OVER. Yes, we know you want to solve the mystery...that's obvious. I was dying just to get to know MISTY and what made them tick, made them laugh, and to get a sense of their heart because it was evident Misty had one. I also struggle when books have too many characters, and yes, I know it's 'fun' to have lots of suspects, but I didn't get much depth from any of them either, and it left me wanting to skim more often than I'd like to admit. Sure, I had SOME desire to solve the mystery, but when 80% of the narrative revolves around sleuthing, the experience is just a bit muted for me as a reader...and sort of had me wishing for my own poison chocolates. (Okay, okay..maybe those liquor filled ones instead!)

And while their loyalty to Lady Lady may have compelled Misty to explore the murder in the dressing room, I think going forward Misty might be better off perfecting their 'death' drop instead.

3 stars

I wanted to like this book more than I ended up liking it. I loved the drag club for a setting and the cast of queer characters was amazing. I thought the mystery moved very slowly and Joe/Misty was an awkward amateur sleuth. I did like the mystery itself and thought it was quite interesting. I do see potential in this one for a series and I am hopefully optimistic that the future books would move a little quicker. Misty Divine’s drag mentor Lady Lady is murdered one night after a show and the head cop in charge seems to care more about a stolen dress than he does the death of a drag queen. Misty is determined she will figure out who murdered her friend even though she has zero murder solving skills or experience and it is clear someone doesn’t want her to figure it out. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up because the cast of characters was truly divine.

A cozy mystery with a cast of drag queens!

When Lady Lady, a seasoned drag queen, shows up dead in her dressing room all eyes are on Misty, her mentee. Expect Misty did do it! Can she figure out who killed her mentor before more people die?!?

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit to get into it, but it really picked up towards the end and I was on the edge of my seat!

There’s been a murder at Lady’s Bar! The last thing Misty Divine expects to find in Lady Lady’s dressing room is a body, but that’s exactly what she stumbles upon after a night of drag. When the detectives seem more interested in what Lady Lady was wearing at the time of her death and less so in finding out who did it, Misty knows it’s up to her to solve the mystery and get justice for her former mentor and friend.

I loved following Misty along on this adventure and Murder in the Dressing Room definitely took turns I did not see coming. From the very beginning I was invested in unmasking who killed Lady Lady and discovering how she was connected to the Kensington Catburglar. I’m a huge fan of drag, so as much as I enjoyed this cozy mystery those bits were my favorite. I just wish we had more! I love how much the author highlighted how empowering drag is for Joe, who doesn’t feel as confident when they are in their everyday clothes. It was very meaningful to follow Misty’s POV and see just how unwelcoming so many can be to drag queens and outwardly queer people, especially today.

Holly Stars brings a breath of fresh air to the cozy mystery genre and I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series. I can’t wait to see what Misty, Miles, and the rest of the queens get up to next time. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy.

Not your average cozy mystery, no bakery or cats, but great descriptions of the world of drag queens and kings.
There's some emotional moments, there's fun, there's a homofobic or simply stupid detective.
I appreciated the characters, Misty/Joe above all and kept reading the story.
On the minus side some less repetition would have helped.
4.5 upped to 5
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

(3.5 stars)
Murder in the Dressing Room is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. This one is unusual (to say the least) in that its main character is a drag queen. Misty Divine is the drag name for Joe, who has a mind-numbing day job processing invoices for a two-star hotel in London. He’s quiet and maybe a bit mousy. But when Joe becomes Misty, she is a force to be reckoned with. (Note that the author uses ‘they’ when Joe is Joe and ‘she’ when Joe is Misty.) Misty has a fabulous voice and wows the audiences at Lady’s Bar in the evenings. Lady’s Bar is owned by Misty’s mentor and friend, Lady Lady. When Lady is poisoned in her dressing room, Misty is a suspect, along with every other performer and employee in the club that night.

As is often the case in cozy mysteries, Misty doesn’t trust the police to really investigate, especially once it is discovered that Lady Lady was wearing a stolen dress worth a ton, having once been worn by Judy Garland. It seems the police is more intent on catching the Kensington Catburglar than finding Lady Lady’s killer. DI Davies is dismissive of Misty and insists on calling her by Joe, for example. Davies’ partner, a female officer, is a more sympathetic character.

Beyond Misty, we get to know Misty’s/Joe’s partner, Miles, as well as the other performers: drag queens and drag kings. Also, Lady Lady’s business partner Mandy. Misty is suspicious of everyone, even though she has considered each of the performers as friends - which makes her upset, but determined to find out who killed Lady Lady.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about drag, how the performer transforms themself with makeup, corsets, and more. The author knows what she is talking about, as she is a well-known drag performer in the UK, as well as a playwright and comedian.

Sometimes the writing got repetitive, which lowered my rating a bit, but this is a solid debut for Holly Stars. The book ends with a tantalizing hint that there may be another mystery for Misty to solve in the near future.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I feel like it's weird for me to say, given that this book is a murder mystery, but THIS BOOK WAS FUN! 😂
I loved seeing the dynamic between Joe/Misty and how it showed they were kinda 2 different people in a way. I loved how normal the characters all were, like YES Joe does drag (and detective work?) but they also have a partner and a boring job and drink too much with their friends!
The mystery aspect was good too imo, I had NO IDEA who did it the whole book tbh. Maybe I'm not perceptive but 🤷🏼‍♀️😂

irst post in over 2 weeks. For those who haven’t been following along, I live in Pacific Palisades. Or I guess I should said lived? On January 7, we lost everything in the Palisades fire. Our home, our school, our entire town and community that we all loved so much. I miss my morning runs to the ocean, I miss walking to get an iced vanilla latte or an Erewhon smoothie, I miss Sundays at the farmers market that was a block from our house. I miss it all. Needless to say, for the first time in my life, I couldn’t read. Couldn’t focus. But I am back at work, we found an apartment for now, the fog is lifting and I am reading again. I started with something fun - Murder In The Dressing Room. A murder mystery about a drag queen found dead in her dressing room, while wearing a stolen dress and the story of her mentee and colleague determined to solve the crime. This book was perfect for my head space. Funny and clever yet twisted and sweet. I loved all the characters, I loved the bantering, I loved that I fell for the red herrings. I know I am a week late on my blog post but thank you to @berkleypub for my gifted copy and for entertaining me and bringing me joy.

In this cozy mystery set in the London drag scene, Misty Devine finds her mentor and club owner poisoned! Everyone in the club at the time is a suspect, including Misty, yet when they feel dismissed by the police, they take the investigation into their own hands.

At times, Misty is an incredible force to be reckoned with. At other times in the story, they make sketchy decision after sketchy decision. It can be frustrating at times to follow along given the lack in self-awareness for how their actions look OR how unsafe they are.

Although somewhat repetitive and predictable in spots, I enjoyed the writing of Holly Stars. The London setting came alive, I absolutely loved the fashion and appreciated the humorous moments sprinkled in. I’m open to reading the next book in this series to see what is next for Misty!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read a copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The gowns. The makeup. The drama! There’s no cozy in this mystery, hunny. It’s all campy fun!

It was like any other night in the dressing room as everyone glammed up for their turn on stage. Drinks. Gossip. Chocolate. But when Misty Divine found her mentor unalived while wearing a dress that was once owned by Judy Garland, drama ensues, and the show quickly came to an end.

If you’ve ever seen details of an actual police investigation and thought, “That’s not how they do it on Criminal Minds,” then Misty Devine is just the investigator you’ve been waiting for!

With a vibrant cast of drag queens and kings, this mystery oozed joy and charisma. The storyline was zany and oh-so-entertaining, and the representation was well done.

Getting to know the complexities of our MC, Joe/Misty, was an impactful part of the story. By day, Joe was quiet and shy. But Misty Divine, their drag counterpart, was confident and bold. This dichotomy added a depth to the storyline, and I think it will feel very relatable to many.

This book is the first in a series, and Murd3r in the Dressing Room ends with another mystery already brewing. I’ll be eager to see how Misty unravels the next one!

🎧 If you’re looking for the full drag queen experience with this read, grab the audiobook. It’s narrated by none other than drag sensation Holly Stars herself, and her performance oozes personality and vibrance.

Many thanks to my friends at @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the free #gifted copies of this book. #berkleypartner #berkleybookstagram

I just finished Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars, and what a fabulous whirlwind of mystery and wit! Holly Stars delivers a sharp, fast-paced whodunit that keeps you guessing while sprinkling in moments of humor and campy fun.

The characters leap off the page, each with their own quirks and secrets, making it impossible to figure out who to trust. The setting—a chaotic dressing room full of drama—was the perfect backdrop for this clever and entertaining story.

If you love a mystery that’s equal parts suspenseful and laugh-out-loud funny, this one’s for you. Holly Stars absolutely nails the balance between intrigue and charm, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of her work!

This was a fun, cozy mystery that I read in a single day! I mostly read this via audiobook and I definitely recommend reading it this way. The author Holly Stars narrates and the story was told with passion and intrigue!!

Not only did I enjoy the murder mystery but also Stars commentary on the power and vulnerabilities of drag artists. I loved the power Misty felt when she was present and the strength that she gave to Joe to help power forward! And I was happy to hear that there will be more mysteries ahead for Misty Divine as more books in this series are planned!

Talk about picking the right book at the right time. This has been a rough couple of weeks for various reasons and I desperately needed a cozy mystery to get lost in. Enter Murder in the Dressing Room by @hollywstars. A murder mystery where the MC is the epitome of non-binary finery aka a glamorous and talented drag queen named Misty Devine. As a huge fan of Drag Race I will happily devour any story where a drag queen is running the show. Hello happy heart!!

Misty Devine is devastated when she discovers the body of her boss, mentor, and drag mother, the legendary Lady Lady. When the cops seem more interested in a potentially connected robbery than Lady’s murder, Misty finds herself investigating and gathering evidence. Unfortunately the cops think Misty is to blame and the clock is ticking for her to prove them wrong.

I loved this story so much. I couldn’t get enough of Misty’s badass drag persona or Joe’s more mild mannered, timid persona. Together they made such a fantastic MC! I loved seeing Joe’s relationship with Miles, couldn’t get enough of the behind the scenes tidbits about drag, and was totally bewildered by the murderous whodunnit. I also didn’t expect to tear up, which I totally did when a certain beloved drag queen who recently passed away was mentioned in a cute moment in the book. This was such a needed piece of light in this month.