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Book Details
Murder Most Wilde
In the world of amateur theatre, the drama isn’t all onstage…
Tragedy Strikes the Windstanton Players
Popular local actor, Noel Ashworth, who collapsed during the rehearsal of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, was pronounced dead at the scene. As shock ripples through Windstanton’s tight-knit amateur theatre group, the Fenshire Police are looking at them as suspects.
I can’t let Perry’s acting debut end in disaster! With the cast spooked and the local police under-resourced, Bea—along with Perry, Rich, Simon, and her trusty Westie, Daisy must shift through the cast’s petty jealousies and diva behaviour to unmask the killer before they strike again.
When the show must go on…will everyone make it to opening night?
Excerpt
Intro
Perry Juke is excited to take on the part of Algernon in The Windstanton Player’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde. As rehearsals begin in the village hall, Perry is settling into the role and looking forward to opening night. Four weeks before the preview they move to the Windstanton Theatre Royal for their rehearsal in the historic theatre and everyone seems a little tense. Suddenly one of the lead actors collapses on stage during a scene with Perry. Noel Ashworth, the charismatic star of the Windstanton Players, is dead! So, of course, the first thing Perry does is ring his best friend, Lady Beatrice…
Extract
Perry leaned against the cold brick wall outside the Windstanton Theatre Royal. His phone was pressed to his ear, and he kept his voice low. Every now and again, he glanced nervously at the entrance. After they’d been shooed off the stage by the local police and herded into the Green Room, they’d been told to stay there until the investigating officer arrived. But the reception had been dreadful, and he’d wanted to ring Bea. No one had been outside the room to stop him, so he’d risked it and slipped out. “He simply collapsed, Bea. Right there onstage. One minute he was fine, and the next—”
Bea’s voice on the other end was tinged with concern. “And you’re thinking it was a heart attack?”
Perry exhaled, his breath forming misty clouds in the chilly evening air. “It seems the most likely explanation.”
“But he wasn’t very old, was he?”
Noel had been younger than him. He swallowed. “No. But there were rumours, you know, about him taking something.”
“What something?”
“Speed maybe? I don’t know that much about these things, but he’d certainly been very high-energy recently. Could be it all caught up with him perhaps?”
“Indeed. Although, with your track record, we can’t rule out the possibility that it’s mur—”
“Stop!” Perry cut her off. “You see murder everywhere these days… I’m sure it’s simply the tragic death of someone who died far too young.” I’m right, aren’t I? There was nothing to indicate foul play…
There was a pause, then Bea puffed out her breath. “You’re right. Sorry. So who’s there from Fenshire Police? Anyone we know?”
Perry glanced around the empty street. “That’s the weird thing. No one’s shown up yet except two local PCs and a doctor. We’re all waiting in the Green Room.”
“You sound like you’re outside.”
How does she know?
“Yeah, well, I snuck out to call you. They—” A police car appeared around the corner. Perry dived into the shadows. Behind the patrol car was a sleek dark-coloured BMW.
“Bea, they’re here. I’ve got to go,” Perry said hurriedly.
“Alright. Text me when you’re done.”
“Will do.” Perry ended the call, and pulse thrumming, he dashed back inside as the cars pulled up to the curb.
A few minutes later, he paused outside the Green Room. He took a calming breath and opened the door. Inside the dimly lit space, with its mismatched chairs scattered around and a sagging sofa pushed against one wall, the air was thick with tension. Hunched in a corner, Kurt was nervously polishing his glasses, while Stella, perched on the sofa, was clutching a mug of tea with shaking hands, her face pale and drawn. Next to her, Millie was chewing her lip as she glanced up at the door. Em stood by the counter. In front of her was a kettle long past its prime, sitting next to a cluster of chipped mugs. She was stirring a cup of tea, her eyes unfocussed. Tom lounged in an armchair, his long legs crossed, sipping from a mug with an air of affected nonchalance, and Colin sat ramrod straight on a wooden dining chair, his face a complete blank.
As Perry sank into an armchair, Millie rose from the sofa and came to sit beside him. “Do you know what happens now?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“I think the police detectives have arrived. They’ll probably want to talk to us, either now or tomorrow, so they can piece together what happened.”
Tom snorted, uncrossing his legs and sitting up straight. “Listen to you. Regular little expert on police procedure, aren’t you, Perry?”
Ignoring the jibe, Perry leaned in to Millie and said, just loud enough for Tom to hear, “My husband, Simon, was a detective with Fenshire CID.”
Tom’s smirk faded, and he took a sullen sip of his drink.
Silence fell over the room again, awkward and heavy. Perry stared at the scuffed carpet. I hope Bea’s initial concerns aren’t founded…
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Wilde-Right-Investigation-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DS2PP3WJ
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Wilde-Right-Investigation-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DS2PP3WJ
Author Bio
Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.
With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.
Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.
If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.
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