Dead Fall — Joan Lock

‘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 â€" 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.