This was just not the book for me I don't think. Much of the language seemed offensive and outdated. I totally get this is meant to take place in 1939, but I also didn't get the 1939 vibe either? I was hoping the action would happen sooner, and a lot of the scenes were of the protagonist at home drinking? The execution seemed to be slightly lacking for the potential the plot had. Just not a fan overall unfortunately.

*Death Upon a Star* takes readers to 1939 Hollywood, where Evelyn Galloway, a script supervisor on Hitchcock’s *Rebecca*, becomes unexpectedly embroiled in a murder investigation after a legendary actor is found dead. As Evelyn recalls passing by the actor’s bungalow the night before, she begins to piece together discrepancies in the media reports and take matters into her own hands to uncover the truth.

Evelyn is a likable and determined protagonist, though her level of involvement in solving the murder felt a bit far-fetched. As a newcomer to Hollywood with no investigative background, it seemed unlikely that she would make so many breakthroughs and uncover key details that professional detectives missed. This element, while central to the plot, made her role in solving the crime feel borderline unbelievable.

The book itself reads more like a cozy mystery than a gritty noir. The atmosphere of old Hollywood is rich, but the stakes never feel quite as high or dangerous as in more intense thrillers. The mystery unfolds at a gentle pace, and the focus is more on the relationships and interactions between characters than on suspenseful action.

One of the bigger drawbacks of *Death Upon a Star* is the lack of depth in the supporting characters and felt more like plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals, which kept me from becoming fully invested in the people around Evelyn.

Overall, while *Death Upon a Star* offers a charming glimpse into Hollywood’s golden age and provides a light, engaging mystery, its cozy, almost whimsical tone and lack of character depth kept it from being as compelling as it could have been.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

I had a hard time reading this one. I kept putting it down and trying again. It was just not for me. The style of writing really bothered me and I just could not get past that. I thought the premise of Hollywood at that time would be fascinating but then the suspension of belief that these characters would be this way was too much for me.

I really enjoyed this book and would like to read others if the author writes more. Evelyn gets a job as a script supervisor to Alfred Hitchcock who is filming the movie Rebecca. She meets an actor that she has known about since childhood when her father would take her to his movies. When he invites her to lunch the next day, she is disappointed when he doesn't show up. Finding out later that he was murdered, she puts her common sense to good use to help the police catch the killer. This book gave me an insight into Hollywood in the late thirties and also about how war affected the industry and the people there.

Dnf’d. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me, I’m so sad about it because I really wanted to love it but I found myself just pushing through and i decided that reading shouldn’t be a chore !
“Death upon a star” follows Hollywood script supervisor Evelyn Galloway, who's drawn into a murder investigation after landing her dream job on the set of Hitchcock's Rebecca. 1939, Los Angeles. Evelyn Galloway can't believe her luck! On her first day in LA, she lands her dream job of script supervisor, and on the hottest film in town - Hitchcock's adaptation of Rebecca. But her good fortune quickly changes when a legendary actor cancels their lunch the following day and is found murdered at home. Evelyn realizes she could be a witness to the crime, having passed the bungalow's grounds on her way home the night before.
Who was the man looking upset in a gazebo? And why was movie starlet Madeleine Nabors running wildly away from the scene? When the tabloid reports contradict what Evelyn saw with her own eyes, she soon finds herself pitted against powerful studio bosses and unscrupulous journalists as she races to uncover the truth.
I think my problem was that I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters so I didn’t really care about the outcome but again, there wasn’t anything wrong with the story or the writing, I just believe it wasn’t a good fit!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc to review !

new-series, first-in-series, 1939, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, film-history, film-industry, amateur-sleuth, murder, investigation, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, local-history, actors, suspense, news-media, surveillance, secrets, lies, drugs-issues, Hollywood*****

I didn't check up on the background history this time, but it sounded credible and added to the story very nicely. The characters are well developed, and some seem modeled on historical film personalities. The mystery itself has a lot of credible red herrings, frustrating false conclusions, and some very surprising plot twists. I miss the humor of the author's other series, but this was a very good historical cozy mystery and I am looking forward to more of them!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected reader's proof from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thanks!
Avail Feb 04, 2025 #DeathUponAStar by Amy Patricia Meade #EvelynGalloway mysteriesBk1 #NetGalley @SevernHouse #CozyMystery #HistoricalHollywood #MurderMystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. The writing just wasn’t for me but I can see how other people would like it. Unfortunately it just wasn’t something I found myself reaching for after putting it down.

Death Upon a Star is a well written mystery which takes place during the filming of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, Rebecca.

You don’t have to be a classical film buff to enjoy this book, but if you are, you will love it. Evelyn Galloway, newly hired script supervisor by Alfred Hitchcock is looking for a fresh start in Hollywood after arriving from New York. She is intelligent with an eye for detail, and may have witnessed the escape of the murderer of a film star. The mystery is intriguing, with well developed characterizations of Hollywood folk, among others. But, there is also delicious gossip of many of the names from that era, including Gone With the Wind producer, David Selznick.

This was a fun read and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

Rating : 2.5/5
Considering my love for 1920s/1930s Americana and the Golden Age of Hollywood, coupled with the mystery genre, this book should have been perfect for me. Unfortunately, I found it to be somewhat flat and lacking, meaning I struggled to be hooked by the storyline or the characters. The instant hyper-positive connections between characters felt false and unnatural, whilst the level of involvement from Evelyn in a murder investigation just felt downright unbelievable. If you want a lighthearted murder mystery and are able to suspend your disbelief, then this grown-up version of Nancy Drew may be your type of read, however it unfortunately was not mine.

I really love the Golden Age of Hollywood as a setting for novels, and I also really liked that this took a murder mystery turn with it was well.

A gentle cozy crime mystery set in Hollywood around the filming of 'Rebecca', directed by Alfred Hitchcock, in 1939. I love classic films and this immediately appealed to me. I enjoyed how the author wove references to vintage fashion, slang and movie gossip into the story, A very minor criticism is that the ending of the final chapter felt quite abrupt - I was expecting it to carry on a little bit more. The tone and style of the writing is just right for the genre, and I look forward to more books in this series.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

In 1939 Los Angeles, Evelyn Galloway is thrilled to land her dream job as a script supervisor on Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation of *Rebecca*. But her excitement quickly turns to shock when a legendary actor cancels their lunch the next day, only to be found murdered in his home.

Evelyn soon realizes she may be a key witness, having passed the actor’s bungalow the night before and noticing a man looking upset in the gazebo. To complicate matters, movie starlet Madeleine Nabors is seen running wildly from the scene. As Evelyn pieces together the clues, she must navigate the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to uncover the truth behind the murder.

A great cozy mystery! I couldn't put the book down - read it in one day!

Amy Patricia Meade does a great job in writing this type of book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the mystery element that was going on. The overall story worked with the Hollywood element and was glad I was able to read this. I was engaged with the Old Hollywood element and am excited for more in the Evelyn Galloway Mystery series.

This book seems almost tailor made for me and I absolutely adored it. Evelyn is a real firecracker, and the mystery was perfectly paced. I loved the setting and all the little details of a movie set (I adore the film Rebecca) too.