Murder in the Dressing Room, Holly Stars
Murder in the Dressing Room, Holly Stars
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
Club: $11.25

Murder in the Dressing Room

Author: Holly Stars

Series: A Misty Divine Mystery #1

Narrator: Holly Stars

Unabridged: 10 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 01/14/2025


Synopsis

A December 2025 RuPaul's Book Club Pick!

A poisoned chocolate. A stolen dress. An elusive catburglar. Drag’s not just dramatic, it’s deadly.

By day, Joe is a hotel accountant, invisibly sitting behind their desk and playing by the rules. By night, donned in sequins, they take to the stage as Misty Divine, a star of the London drag scene.

But when Misty’s drag mother, Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room beside a poisoned box of chocolates, Misty and her fellow performers become the prime suspects.

Heartbroken by the loss, and frustrated by the clear biases of the police, Misty must solve the crime before the culprit strikes again. Among the drop-dead gorgeous lurks a cutthroat killer, and Misty Divine won't rest until she finds out who it is.

About The Author

Holly Stars is a drag stand-up comedian and writer. She is the writer of the smash-hit drag murder mystery, Death Drop, a play that has had three runs on the West End and a UK and Ireland tour. Holly has two seasons of her own television series, Holly Stars: Inspirational, produced by Froot TV and Tuckshop. She is also the producer and cohost of murder-mystery book review podcast, Read to Death, and is currently completing an accredited qualification in professional investigation, which will make her the world's first drag queen private detective.


Reviews

Goodreads review by PamG on January 07, 2025

Murder in the Dressing Room is the debut novel of Holly Stars. It’s also the first book in the Misty Divine cozy mystery series. By day, Joe Brown is a somewhat shy hotel accountant bored with his job, but unwilling to give up the security of a regular paycheck. By night, they take the stage in......more

Goodreads review by Catherine on February 22, 2025

**Many thanks to Berkley and Holly Stars for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!** If you looked at Joe during the day, you'd probably see a shy, quiet, and unassuming hotel accountant, one who comes to work, puts their head down, and keeps to themselves. But when night falls, Joe takes the s......more

Goodreads review by Mallory on February 06, 2025

I wanted to like this book more than I ended up liking it. I loved the drag club for a setting and the cast of queer characters was amazing. I thought the mystery moved very slowly and Joe/Misty was an awkward amateur sleuth. I did like the mystery itself and thought it was quite interesting. I do s......more

Goodreads review by Bbecca_marie on December 27, 2024

Audiobook/Book Review πŸ”ͺπŸ’„πŸ’‹πŸ« thank you so much @berkleypub @prhaudio for the free book and audiobook. #Berkleypartner #Berkley Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars narrated by Holly Stars About the book πŸ‘‡πŸ½ A poisoned chocolate. A stolen dress. An elusive catburglar. Drag’s not just dramatic, it’s dea......more

Goodreads review by Susan Z (webreakforbooks) on January 22, 2025

This is a solid start to a new cozy mystery series. I loved the behind the scenes look at the drag scene. What really struck me was how the different identities of Misty and Joe manifested in different personalities and confidence levels. This cover is so fun, I did expect this story to be a bit lig......more


Quotes

"I love Murder In The Dressing Room! What a fantastic read… every single character came to life in my mind. Holly is such an imaginative writer and storyteller… Through reading every page I was one hundred percent invested and felt as if I were a drag queen detective myself. Call me JUJU MISTY BEE moving forward. I can’t wait for the next installment of this one of its kind story.” -Jujubee

"Murder in the Dressing Room provides all the comfort and entertainment of a traditional amateur sleuth story, but from a wholly new and absolutely enthralling perspective. A page-turning mystery, larger than life protagonist, and a behind the scenes look at the glamorous and gritty world of drag…what more could you want?" –Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning Arsenic and Adobo

“This mystery promises to be the start of an outstanding new series; listeners will find themselves cheering for Misty and her clumsy detective work. In addition to plenty of laughs, Stars’s witty queer cozy offers good twists and some truly heartfelt moments.” - Library Journal, starred review

“Stars capitalizes on the popularity of drag and uses this deceptively frothy book to comment on the place of its performers in the queer community and in the world, making serious points about discrimination and community.” - The Washington Post

"Move over Miss Marple, there’s a new amateur detective in town, and she can solve murders in sequins and six inch heels. Cosy, clever and camp, with a truly unique heroine to cheer for, Murder in the Dressing Room is an absolute delight." –Freya Sampson, USA Today bestselling author of Nosy Neighbors

"Murder In The Dressing Room is as bright and sassy as its cover. A witty, sparkly, cozy mystery that I lapped up with delight. I can't wait for more from Holly Stars!" -Tess Amy, author of The Confidence Games

"The fabulous Holly Stars has burst onto the cozy murder mystery scene with the amateur sleuth I never knew I needed—drag queen Misty Divine is fierce, confident, and oh so glamourous… Entertaining, touching, and a lot of fun" - Ashley Tate, author of instant Canadian bestseller Twenty Seven Minutes

"[W]arm, humorous, and hugely important…I think we have a new queen of crime!" - Emily Critchley, author of One Puzzling Afternoon