Charles Paris is a very engaging character. Now middle-aged – there are hints in this novel that he has just entered his fifties, although, paradoxically, in some of the later books the approaching milestone of fifty looms over him menacingly – he is more or less resigned to playing out the remainder of his acting career in minor roles.

As the novel opens we find Charles enjoying a temporary rapprochement with his long suffering wife Frances, and they spending a week in Hunstanton, on the Norfolk coast. Now long beyond its Victorian heyday, the allure of Hunstanton has faded, and finding the weather relentlessly miserable, Charles and Frances take refuge one afternoon in a ‘summer’ revue matinee, an old-fashioned variety show featuring a selection of musical acts, dancers, conjurers, jugglers and a couple of comedians. Even when this book was published, some forty years ago, the live variety show was already a fading and dated phenomenon, and the ensemble performing at Hunstanton was unlikely to reverse that downward trend. Charles is, however, intrigued to see that one of the comedians on the bill is Lennie Barber, who many years ago had enjoyed considerable success as the leading partner in Barber and Pole, one of the most popular comic double acts of the 1950s. One of the acts, Bill Peaky, is tipped for future stardom and has already secured a certain fanbase from occasional television appearances. However, his career is truncated in the most brutal fashion when he is electrocuted on stage as a consequence of a faulty connection on the stage sound system.

As usual, Charles Paris suspects that there is more to this than simple mischance, and becomes involved in one of his amateur investigations, which also affords him the opportunity to try out a selection of disguises, and to use some of the different voices and accents that he has employed throughout his startlingly unsuccessful acting career. This novel marked one of the first occasions in which Charles accompanies his disguises with reminiscences of the generally negative comments from critics. Like so many actors, he tends only to remember the particularly cruel comments that reviewers have offered up.

Also as usual, Charles end up suspecting virtually everyone in turn before eventually discovering the actual culprit. I realise that this might all sound rather bland and predictable, but Simon Brett writes in an appealing manner, and the insights into different aspects of the theatrical and televison worlds that his books afford are always enjoyable. ( )

I love the gentle humour of these books. Charles Paris is not a natural detective: he is the reader; stumbling from suspicion of one character on to the next as his favourite is either bumped off, or proves conclusively that he/she couldn't be the murderer.

In this romp, our hero never solves the crime. He is talking to a witness who confesses! Charles has to be convinced that the person really is the criminal. You will notice, that I have tried to discuss this book in such a way that, were you to read it, I have not spoiled the surprise. The author, Simon Brett has that wonderful ability to write in such a way that we, the audience, get to the solution just ahead of the criminologist. Needless to say, this makes for a most satisfying read. ( )

Charles Paris gets a t.v. gig doing Barber and Pole skit. Amusing with Charles accusing half the book of murdering an upcoming comedian. The ultimate revelation of the murderer comes a bit out of left field. ( )

Simon Brett's Charles Paris novels are very entertaining: light-hearted, but always well-constructed with watertight plots, and the clues to the solution are always there, even if the reader does not always pick up on them as they go through the book.

As this novel opens, Charles Paris, the down at heel actor and occasional roue, finds himself going through one of his recurring rapprochements with his sometime wife Frances as they spend a week together in Hunstanton. With the weather poor they find themselves attnding a variety matinee in the pier theatre. The fare on offer is ather bland, but one of the acts, Bill Peaky, is tipped for future stardom and has already secured a certain fanbase from occasional television appearances. However, his career is truncated in the most brutal fashion when he is electrocuted on stage as a consequence of a faulty connection on the stage sound system.

As usual, Charles Paris suspects that there is more to this than simple mischance, and becomes involved in one of his amateur investigations. As usual, he suspects virtually everone in turn before eventually discovering the actual culprit. This may all sound rtather bland and predictable, but Brett writes in an appealing manner, and the insights into different aspects of the theatrical and televison worlds are always enjoyable. ( )

A Comedian Dies is the 5th book in the Charles Paris series. I’ve read reviews of books in this series where the reviewers have commented that there is no one to like in the story. This is the first one I’ve read where that is almost true.

Charles and Francis are taking a vacation together to see if they can fix their marriage. While attending a variety show in the seaside town where they are staying, the lead comedian is electrocuted. Violent death never seems to be far from Charles! Naturally, he refuses to believe that the death is an accident and begins to investigate it.

In the show is an old comedian who is well past his hayday and looking to get back on top. His partner in his old comedy routine has been dead for a long time and through the course of events Charles is asked to reproduce that part which gives him an opportunity to stay involved with all the suspects.

No one involved in the story is likeable except Charles. They all seem to be show business stereotypes that would be unpleasant to be around. As always, Simon Brett nails his characters and they are imminently believable. There is a lot of discussion about what is funny, what comedy is and how comedians work. I found this to be quite enlightening. Simon Brett knows his show business! ( )