So Much Blood

Title:

So Much Blood

Author:

Brett, Simon

Format:

eBook

Electronic Format:

HTML

ADOBE EPUB

KINDLE

Provider:

Libby

Language:

English

Publication Date:

2011

Subject:

Mystery

Fiction

Description:

Meet Charles Paris: a washed-up actor with a taste for wine, women . . . and solving crimes! A binge-worthy cozy mystery series from the original king of British cozy crime, internationally best-selling, award-winning author Simon Brett, OBE. For fans of Richard Osman - but with added bite!"Like a little malice in your mysteries? Some cynicism in your cosies? Simon Brett is happy to oblige" THE NEW YORK TIMES"Few crime writers are as enchantingly gifted" THE SUNDAY TIMES"One of British crime's most assured craftsmen . . . Perfect entertainment" THE GUARDIAN"A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans" P.D. JAMES"Murder most enjoyable" COLIN DEXTER_______________________ One middle-aged actor, making ends meet - and occasionally solving murdersOne student drama society, performing at the Edinburgh Fringe FestivalOne bag, full of prop knives . . .It all adds up to SO MUCH BLOOD(Mostly) out of work actor Charles Paris has bypassed his showbiz agent and found himself a job: a week at the famous Edinburgh comedy festival, performing his one-man show."Is this the right thing for you to be doing, artistically?" Maurice warns, with the same moving appeal he makes every time Charles suggests something unprofitable. But Charles is determined - and heads off to Edinburgh, ready to perform as part of the Derby University Dramatic Society.He first has regrets when he sees the poster advertising his show, which reads: DUDS ON THE FRINGE . . . and the greatest of these is Charles Paris.But worse is yet to come. While waiting for the rehearsal room to be free, Charles accidentally witnesses a scene from the DUDS' own play. Student drama can be murder - but even Charles doesn't expect to see the show's star, rock musician Willy Mariello, stabbed to death by a cast-member wielding what was meant to be a fake knife . . .Fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, M.C. Beaton and Faith Martin will love this hilarious cozy traditional mystery series featuring one of the funniest antiheroes in crime fiction. Written over a fifty-year-period, it perfectly captures life and contemporary attitudes in 1970s London - and beyond!READERS ADORE CHARLES PARIS:"It's a pleasure to have him [Charles Paris] back, and especially to have him at the Edinburgh festival . . . A bonnie book indeed" Kirkus Reviews"Four words that never fail to lift the heart: A Charles Paris Mystery . . . [A] warm, witty, cleverly plotted drama" The Telegraph"The manner of the reveal and the way it plays out are both memorable and satisfying" MysteriesAhoy.com"A lovely, enjoyable read" Paradise-Mysteries.blogspot.com"A fun read from an author clearly on form. Well worth a look" ClassicMystery.blog"I am galloping through Simon Brett's murder stories . . . Good read always" Mrs L, 5* Amazon review"I'll cut to the chase: I love Charles Paris" Tonstant, 5* Amazon reviewTHE CHARLES PARIS MYSTERIES, IN ORDER:1. Cast in Order of Disappearance2. So Much Blood3. Star Trap4. An Amateur Corpse5. A Comedian Dies6. The Dead Side of the Mike 7. Situation Tragedy8. Murder Unprompted9. Murder in the Title10. Not Dead, Only Resting11. Dead Giveaway12. What Bloody Man is That13. A Series of Murders14. Corporate Bodies15. A Reconstructed Corpse16. Sicken and So Die17. Dead Room Farce18. A Decent Interval19. The Cinderella Killer20. A Deadly Habit|Appearing in his own show at the Edinburgh Festival,...

ISBN:

9781448300013

Summary

Meet Charles Paris: a washed-up actor with a taste for wine, women . . . and solving crimes! A binge-worthy cozy mystery series from the original king of British cozy crime, internationally best-selling, award-winning author Simon Brett, OBE. For fans of Richard Osman - but with added bite!

"Like a little malice in your mysteries? Some cynicism in your cosies? Simon Brett is happy to oblige" THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Few crime writers are as enchantingly gifted" THE SUNDAY TIMES

"One of British crime's most assured craftsmen . . . Perfect entertainment" THE GUARDIAN

"A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans" P.D. JAMES

"Murder most enjoyable" COLIN DEXTER
_______________________

One middle-aged actor, making ends meet - and occasionally solving murders
One student drama society, performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
One bag, full of prop knives . . .
It all adds up to SO MUCH BLOOD

(Mostly) out of work actor Charles Paris has bypassed his showbiz agent and found himself a job: a week at the famous Edinburgh comedy festival, performing his one-man show.

"Is this the right thing for you to be doing, artistically?" Maurice warns, with the same moving appeal he makes every time Charles suggests something unprofitable. But Charles is determined - and heads off to Edinburgh, ready to perform as part of the Derby University Dramatic Society.

He first has regrets when he sees the poster advertising his show, which reads: DUDS ON THE FRINGE . . . and the greatest of these is Charles Paris.

But worse is yet to come. While waiting for the rehearsal room to be free, Charles accidentally witnesses a scene from the DUDS' own play. Student drama can be murder - but even Charles doesn't expect to see the show's star, rock musician Willy Mariello, stabbed to death by a cast-member wielding what was meant to be a fake knife . . .

Fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, M.C. Beaton and Faith Martin will love this hilarious cozy traditional mystery series featuring one of the funniest antiheroes in crime fiction. Written over a fifty-year-period, it perfectly captures life and contemporary attitudes in 1970s London - and beyond!

READERS ADORE CHARLES PARIS:

"It's a pleasure to have him [Charles Paris] back, and especially to have him at the Edinburgh festival . . . A bonnie book indeed" Kirkus Reviews

"Four words that never fail to lift the heart: A Charles Paris Mystery . . . [A] warm, witty, cleverly plotted drama" The Telegraph

"The manner of the reveal and the way it plays out are both memorable and satisfying" MysteriesAhoy.com

"A lovely, enjoyable read" Paradise-Mysteries.blogspot.com

"A fun read from an author clearly on form. Well worth a look" ClassicMystery.blog

"I am galloping through Simon Brett's murder stories . . . Good read always" Mrs L, 5* Amazon review

"I'll cut to the chase: I love Charles Paris" Tonstant, 5* Amazon review

THE CHARLES PARIS MYSTERIES, IN ORDER:

1. Cast in Order of Disappearance
2. So Much Blood
3. Star Trap
4. An Amateur Corpse
5. A Comedian Dies
6. The Dead Side of the Mike
7. Situation Tragedy
8. Murder Unprompted
9. Murder in the Title
10. Not Dead, Only Resting
11. Dead Giveaway
12. What Bloody Man is That
13. A Series of Murders
14. Corporate Bodies
15. A Reconstructed Corpse
16. Sicken and So Die
17. Dead Room Farce
18. A Decent Interval
19. The Cinderella Killer
20. A Deadly Habit

Author Notes

Simon Brett was born in Worcester Park, Surrey on October 28, 1945. He attended Dulwich College and then Wadham College, Oxford, where he studied English. Between 1967 and 1977, he was a producer with BBC Radio. He also spent a couple of years working for Thames Television.

In 1975, he published his first 'Charles Paris' novel. By 1979, Brett had become a full-time writer. He has written and edited children's books, humorous novels and several anthologies. In 1986, he introduced another sleuth: Mrs Pargeter.

As well as the Charles Paris and Mrs. Pargeter detective series, he is also the author of the radio and television series After Henry, the radio series No Commitments and the bestselling How to be a Little Sod . His novel A Shock to the System was filmed starring Michael Caine.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

Kirkus Review

A bright curtain-raiser for Charles Paris, an actor of sorts more steadily involved with drink and sex (except when inconvenienced by ""distiller's droop"") who gets a rotten, real-life script--to help a young girl seemingly abandoned, pregnant, by a rich older man. A fine point of estate tax law provides the incentive which he too can handle. Charles, with all his irregularities, has nice instincts and is good company--disheveled, amusing, quick. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.