Charles Paris is back on stage with a long run in the West End. He's trying to get his drinking under control and may even have a chance at getting back together with his ex-wife,

But that's before the murders begin.

Relationships among the actors in the current play are complex, in part because so many of them have a long-ago connection with the star of the show. Petty jealousies and long-term rivalries provide a backdrop that naturally complicates the play and the investigation.

But Charles is frustrated by that investigation. He feels that his inside knowledge could make a big difference in the speed with which the police track down the culprit... and he could be right.

The #MeToo movement turns up in this novel, along with Charles's own extreme sexism. Between that and his foray into Alcoholics Anonymous and similar groups, Charles is doing a lot of heavy thinking. He and the other characters are also telling each other a lot of home truths. The result is not exactly cheering, but Charles may have a better future ahead.

As a long-time reader of Simon Brett and a fan of the Charles Paris radio plays, looked to this for a quick entertainment read. The theatre-set mystery is a bit of a sideline to the question of whether Charles can or should stop drinking, which is the most thoroughly written bit of the novel. A very quick read, for fans of Charles Paris, with interesting glimpses into West End shows and stars.

Charles Paris doesn’t get that much theatrical work, and it rarely seeks him out. So he’s a little surprised when Justin Grover, renowned actor of stage and screen, asks him to join the cast of The Habit Of Faith, a new West End production, despite only knowing Grover from a brief run as Rosencrantz to his Guildenstern (or possibly the other way round). Yes, the part is just The Monk Who Listened To The Other Monks Who Maundered On In Long Speeches About Their Own Internal Conflicts, but work is work, and the pay is pretty good.

Charles also sees this an opportunity to reconnect with his wife, Frances, but she has one condition – stop drinking. That actually isn’t going too badly – a lot of his fellow cast members are on the wagon too – but when the lead actress is found dead after “falling down the stairs”, Charles finds himself convinced that she was murdered. But can he find the killer, avoid the demon drink and deliver his traditional adequate performance six nights a week?



Bit of a preview-review this one, as it’s not out until the end of the month, but I read my review copy a little early due to work pressures meaning that I needed an easy read. And Simon Brett is the expert at producing comfortable, easy reads. Well, this may be an easy read, but there are certainly uncomfortable moments in this one.

Primarily, Brett decides to tackle the dubious behaviour of some actors, amid rumours of Justin Grover’s past behaviour. While we don’t fully go into Operation Yewtree territory here, it’s a dark undercurrent that to me sat a little uncomfortably here. The Charles Paris books have always been fairly light reads, but this seemed to be a lot darker, both with this plot point and with finally tackling Charles’ alcoholism.

It’s a decent tale, entertaining and witty when not being dark, although it’s not particularly well-clued. The conclusion of the mystery has a surprising touch of realism to the fate of the villain, which made a pleasant change of pace.

Fans of the series will find plenty to enjoy here – but I wonder if they will be as divided as me when they reach the final page. Also, you've got to wonder about the choice of name for Justin Grover, given that there is a star of stage and screen with a remarkably similar name... Probably not the book that will convert new fans to the series, but long term readers will be pleased to see Charles back in action again. Worth A Look.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Severn House Publishing for an advance copy of A Deadly Habit by Simon Brett.

Stepping back into a Charles Paris mystery is rather like snuggling down into an old, snuggly cardigan. It's familiar and it's comfortable. It's also been far too long since the last one.

Once again, Charles finds himself, though no fault of his own, mixed up in a murder in Thesp Land. He's still drinking too much, he's still estranged from, but still married to, his long-suffering wife. And, of course, he's still struggling to find work via his frankly-quite-useless agent.

This time, though, there may be reconciliation in the air - with the long suffering wife. This time, he addresses his drinking. His agent, however, is still frankly-quite-useless.

I did find the opening chapters a bit slow as we all reminded ourselves of some of the history. There were a few things I'd forgotten, though, so this did have it's uses. Then, at the end, for some reason we skip ahead to what happens in the future before coming back to the "present day" of the story.

But the bit in the middle was pure Brett: still witty, still clever, still verbose in places.

Still good, though. So, if you're a fan, or even if you're not, do read this latest caper. It's still lots of fun.

I enjoyed A Deadly Habit very much. Let's face it, you know pretty much what you're going to get from a Charles Paris mystery: a slightly implausible plot in which someone involved with Charles's current production mysteriously dies, some shrewd and often acerbic observations of theatrical characters and their behaviour, some slightly inept investigation by Charles himself and a lot of unflashy but very good writing. This doesn’t disappoint at all.

This time, Charles is invited to appear in a West End production of a not-very-good play which is a vehicle for a big movie star whom Charles knew when they were both fresh out of drama school. Sure enough, someone dies and Charles eventually pieces together what happened. There is also a lot of background about alcoholism and its struggles, which I thought was well done; Brett is very good at tackling this sort of thing with a little wit but never trivialising, so it is honest without being too grim or sentimental. The whole thing is a very easy, pleasurable read with a little more substance than many books in this genre – and one scene where Charles speaks to a retired, waspishly camp director made me laugh out loud more than once.

Simon Brett is a master at this sort of thing and he has done it yet again. If you want an amusing, enjoyable read which nonetheless has a bit of substance to it, I'd recommend giving this a try.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishing for an advance copy of A Deadly Habit, the twentieth novel to feature actor Charles Paris.

Charles is ambivalent about being offered a part in a new West End play, The Habit of Faith, because he thinks the play is "crap" and the part was offered by international superstar Justin Grover, a man he has worked with before and doesn't like. The lure of "West End wages" and no alternative mean he accepts the role but it isn't plain sailing and he soon investigating the death of the only actress in the play.

I enjoyed A Deadly Habit. It is many years since I dipped into the series so it has been like starting anew. Obviously there is a murder and a solution but the novel is more about Charles Paris, his cynical take on the theatre world and his struggles with life. Charles has the opportunity to restart his marriage with Frances but only if he gives up the booze, not an easy proposition for a heavy drinker who knows he doesn't have a problem. He makes a valiant effort allowing Mr Brett to take some amusing potshots at the sobriety industry and at Charles's self delusion. Drink or the lack of it plays a major role in the novel.

The murder plot centres around the death of Liddy Max, found at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Charles uncovers several well hidden secrets about the cast and more less palatable truths about the workings of the industry. His jaundiced view of both make for a fun read.

A Deadly Habit is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.