Death at the Playhouses Lowe and Le Breton Mysteries

A second witty, fun, 1970s-set whodunnit in the Lowe and Le Breton mysteries series, featuring two ageing actors attempting to solve a murder after their famous co-star is found dead in a doorway outside the theatre in which they’re performing. Nostalgic cosy crime that’s perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Death & Croissants.

In between filming seasons of Floggit and Leggit!, ageing actors Edward Lowe and John Le Breton sign up for short run at the Leeds Playhouse, lured by the promise that the play will transfer to the Stadsschouwburg – the Amsterdam Playhouse. Once in Leeds, they discover they have been invited to join for two reasons – because the company manager is keen to take advantage of the publicity surrounding Floggit and Leggit! (now a massive hit) and because Sir Nathaniel Thompson, the much-lauded star of the show and knight of the realm, has been sacked for drunkenness and failing to turn up for work. 

John fears an awkward scene, should Thompson – who he knew during the war – return to reclaim his job, but when Thompson’s body is found, bludgeoned to death in a nearby alleyway, this ceases to be an issue. 

Once more, the elderly thespian sleuths decide to investigate.

Stuart Douglas is an author and editor based in Edinburgh. He runs Obverse Books, and has written four Sherlock Holmes novels for Titan Books. In 2016, he co-created the award winning Black Archive series of books, and has also written and edited novellas and short story anthologies for several publishers.