M.S. Greene’s background in the theater is obvious in this excellent debut cozy mystery, There’s No Murder Like Show Murder. He takes us behind-the-scenes with his amateur sleuth, Tasha Weaver, who is the costume shop head at Connecticut’s Eastbrook Playhouse. Tasha knows everyone on stage and backstage, so she’s an excellent sleuth who does try to keep the police in the loop.

No one was happy with Kurt Mozer, the leading man for the theater’s “Annie Get Your Gun”. He and the director were always at odds, and he deliberately ripped a costume in front of Tasha and the entire cast during a tech run through. But, when he abruptly walks out, and rumors start that he quit, Tasha’s desperate to save the theater. She’s grown up there, and it’s her life’s passion. Eastbrook Theater needs Kurt’s name in lights and press releases, even though he’s no longer a Broadway draw. Tasha talks him into continuing in the role, but she regrets it and blames herself when the star is killed in the theater that night. And, she’s afraid one of her friends might be the killer.

Tasha tries to go to the detective in charge of the case. He appears reluctant to listen to her, although she knows all the workings and all the people in the theater. So, Tasha turns sleuth. She’s the fixer for the theater, and Eastbrook Playhouse is the place she loves more than anywhere else. She’s determined “The show must go on.”

As I said, Greene knows his theater. He includes references to other shows, actors, and it’s obvious he’s passionate about the people involved in theater. I hope There’s No Murder Like Show Murder is the first in a series.

There’s No Murder Like Show Murder by M.S. Greene. Crooked Lane Books, 2024. ISBN 9781639108190 (hardcover), 288p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley to review for a journal.