Dead Fall

‘The characters are believable but even more so is the setting.’ - Historical Novels Review

A real murder occurs on the stage of the London theatre where Detective Inspector Best and his wife are enjoying a night out. The Victorian theatre is only just emerging into respectability, which is threatened when another death follows – a murder which could be a reaction against one of the Victorian theatres most traditional practices.

The evocative array of suspects includes an all powerful actor-manager, the resentful Super and Property Masters, a crusading journalist turned playwright, a disgruntled dresser, the family of a ballerina who died in a theatre fire and, not least, members of the audience who indulge in a curious form of blackmail.

DEAD FALL
I can't remember what it was that made me decide upon the Victorian Theatre as the backdrop for my next DI Best book but I soon realised it would be a steep learning curve.  I do remember my astonishment when among the books for sale in my public library I came upon THE VICTORIAN THEATRE: The Theatre in its Time which proved to be a collection of contemporary news reports, features, excerpts from memoirs and magazine articles on just about every theatre feature from agents to actors, dressers to wardrobe masters, and everything in between.  It was gold dust for 40p and took me into that world as nothing else could  have done. 
    I was similarly fortunate at the Theatre Museum which not only had playbills and programmes but also an actual copy of the script for the production which Best and his wife were going to see (The Lights of London by George R Sims). It also had the architectural plans for the theatre (The Princesses) which was to come in mighty useful when a leading character had to flee for her life through the darkened  backstage jungle.