Quick Curtain

By: Alan Melville

Narrated by: Ben Allen

When Douglas B. Douglas - leading light of the London theatre - premiers his new musical extravaganza, Blue Music, he is sure the packed house will be dazzled by the performance. What he couldn't predict is the death of his star, Brandon Baker, onstage in the middle of act two. Soon another member of the cast is found dead, and it seems to be a straightforward case of murder followed by suicide.

Inspector Wilson of Scotland Yard - who happens to be among the audience - soon discovers otherwise. Together with Derek, his journalist son, Wilson takes charge of proceedings in his own inimitable way.

©2015 Estate of Alan Melville (P)2016 Soundings

Almost stopped at beginning.

At first narrator made Inspector Wilson sound like a flake. But his voice improves as the book went on. Plot may seem stale to today’s readers, but it was fairly original to the people first reading it. I ended up enjoying the father/son conversations.

EASY TO ENJOY

A variation on the usual serious Golden Age mystery, where the detectives are less than efficient despite several promising theories. Nice writing, humorous dialogue and characters, and an excellent series of denouements which put a sparkle onto an already amusing novel.

Imagine if P. G. Wodehouse Wrote a Murder Mystery

I’ll give you a second. Ok, got it? Brisk banter, breezy attitudes towards procedure and protocol, all founded in a professional knowledge of the ins and outs of life in musical theatre. Unlike most mysteries, where the listener needs to keep the suspects, clues and times-when-things-happened straight, all one has to do here is sit back and enjoy.

I confess that took some getting used to. As Dorothy Sayers said, “the aim of Mr. Melville is entertainment, and a fig for procedure”. Having just finished Freeman Wills Crofts’ The Groote Park Murder, a veritable handbook on police procedure, I missed the brooding pressure from higher-ups, the detailed medical evidence and the petty quarrels about jurisdiction. As a result, I wasn't as invested in the solution when it finally came.

Melville’s approach rings truer when, as in his delightful Weekend at Thrackley, his investigator is an amateur. On the other hand, it must be admitted that I laughed out loud very frequently. As Martin Edwards points out in his introduction, “Melville’s humor has worn better over the past 80 years than many would have expected”. Of course, Ben Allen deserves some of the credit for that, too. Though a tad languid in spots, he delivers each innuendo and comeback, every thrust and counter-thrust, just right.

Delightful mystery

The wit and unique ending set this apart. I am left wishing that Melville had written many more mysteries during his lifetime.

A different kind of twist.

A tongue in cheek take on the golden age detective story as well as theatrical folk. Fun and funny. As a golden age fan, I recommend reading this after you have gone through a number of the traditional mysteries to get the full impact of the twist. (But that's not required to enjoy this)

Charming vintage mystery

I enjoyed this vintage story. Lots of humor and humorous characters. I would read other books by this author.

Clever way to end a detective story.

Some humor, some mystery, a bit of cynicism. stick with it and you will be rewarded.

Loved it - very funny and very clever!

I loved this mystery! It was very clever and laugh out loud funny in parts. The narrator was excellent as well!! Highly recommended!

No wonder Dorothy Sayers didn't like it--

But you will. Sayers reference is from the intro. Mystery is definitely mysterious! So read away!

Actually liked this a lot! A real period piece.

What a fun listen!

Many giggles, excellent performance of witty author's pen, and a lovely and unusual ending. Gotta find more from this author and narrator