Bert Billington has been poisoned. This isn't exactly surprising as the theatrical impresario had made a lot of enemies in his long life. He was a womanizer and a cheat and so obviously suspicion falls on his wife, Verity Malone. Verity was once a very comely young thing. Everyone had picture cards of her, Max Mephisto even had a dalliance with her, but when she married Bert she became a stalwart housewife, raising their three children in the luxury to which Bert provided. But she was the only one there when he died. So she is the only suspect. And the police don't seem to be too keen to look elsewhere. She could have finally snapped after years of infidelity after all... Which is why Verity reaches out to Emma and Sam to exonerate her. Sure, it might be a bit sticky, Emma being married to the chief of police, but they expected that once she and Sam went into business for themselves that just such an occasion could arise. It just happened a little sooner than they expected. It's their first big case and they want to do right by Verity so they start digging into Bert's Music Hall past and are even given a list of all his women. To say this man had affairs is an understatement. If Verity had wanted revenge why did she wait so long? It just doesn't add up. His eldest son now runs the family business and they actually have women coming out of the woodwork with children they claim are Bert's. More rather than less are credible. Plus there was that nasty business years ago when his affections strayed from his mistress and she went on to kill herself and their child. It shook them all but Bert didn't change his ways. Emma and Sam even reach out to Max to see what he thought about Bert. As luck would have it Max might be more well placed than they could have imagined. Not only did he work with Bert back in the day, he was canoodling with Verity, and as of this moment he's starring in a Dracula film shooting up in Whitby with Bert's son Seth Billington. Maybe Seth, the light of his mother's life, wanted to avenge her? The fact is, with the way Bert lived there were a lot of people who could enact revenge. The question is who? The answer could very well even be Verity.

On the ninth and final season of Dynasty Sable crossed over from the lamentably cancelled The Colbys and got involved in a delicious relationship with Alexis's ex, Dex Dexter. Sable found out she was pregnant and had no plans to marry Dex, even if it would have destroyed her cousin Alexis once and for all. You might be asking why am I mentioning this in a book review, well, change furs for jewels and you have one of the plot points of The Midnight Hour. Yes, Ruby, Max's daughter, is pregnant by none other than a supposedly different Dex Dexter! While I disagree with people who say that Dynasty had lost it's magic in it's final season if you were to ask me if The Brighton Mysteries have lost their magic I would say undoubtedly yes. I mean even in the literal sense because they've renamed it The Brighton Mysteries from The Magic Men Mysteries! I'm sorry, but it's just not working. This second book after the time jump felt like Elly Griffiths was desperately trying to right a sinking ship. Frantically refocusing on the dying world of variety it had eschewed in Now You See Them it felt like it was grasping at straws to regain the fans it had lost with that previous installment. And as for the refocusing on feminine crime solvers, this series has always been fiercely feminine despite the series previously being named after the Magic Men and the continual conks on the noggin to the heroines, but here it's become darker, more toxically feminine. Men are evil and to be destroyed. There was just rancor and vitriol spewing off these pages. Yes, Bert deserved to die. Yes, he was an evil man. But does this mean all men are evil? No. Flawed, yes, evil no. A sad sack neighbor brings flowers and Verity can only see the machinations of the male of the species. I just can't with this negativity. And as for our new erstwhile heroine? I want to like Meg, I long to like Meg, I just am literally indifferent to Meg. She lacks the allure of Max, and yes, I'm saying "allure" like Miranda Hart because I will never picture anyone else as Meg. Meg feels like she is, along with Sam, trying to fill the Emma void with her becoming domesticated, but it just isn't working. And as for Sam and Max, please, dear God no. Just no.

The Midnight Hour is the sixth book in The Brighton Mysteries series by British author, Elly Griffiths. When elderly impresario Bert Billington’s youngest son, Aaron suggests to the Brighton Police that his mother, former variety dancer, Verity Malone poisoned her husband, she engages Holmes and Collins Detective Agency to investigate.

It’s a little awkward: the first time Emma Holmes is at odds with her husband, Superintendent Edgar Stephens, as his team tries to discover who fed Bert rat poison. Police and PIs question many of the same people for information, but sometimes their methods yield different results. What does come to light is that there are plenty of people with potential grudges against the old man, and that there was a mystery caller to the house in the hours before Bert died.

And then there is another murder: a different MO, but with certain common aspects, with the result that Emma and WDC Meg Connolly head to Liverpool to interview a couple with a historical bearing on the cases, and from there, unexpectedly to Whitby, where Bert and Verity’s middle son Seth and Max Mephisto are filming a Dracula movie.

Bert’s reputation as a philanderer swells the list of those with grievances to the families of used and discarded women, some of whose lives he ruined without qualm. Nor do all of his own family hold him in high esteem. But the second victim was a favourite with almost everyone: what could the motive be?

Griffiths certainly has the reader second-guessing themselves as they settle on a perpetrator, only to be pointed elsewhere as further facts come to light. There are a number of red herrings and plenty of misdirection, from both the characters and the author. At one stage Emma reminds herself that she is dealing with “Actors and acting. Costume and disguise.”

Once again, Griffiths uses multiple narrators to convey different parts of the story as well as to give different perspectives on events. The story plays out over about six weeks against a background of The Moors Murders. The mid-1960’s era ensures the absence of mobile phones, internet, DNA and even many personal vehicles; thus the detective work relies on heavily on legwork, and intelligent deduction.

Fans will be pleased to have another peek into the lives of this particular cast as the characters grow and develop and face the challenges of the changing world that was the nineteen-sixties. Despite the still-rampant sexual discrimination to which they are subject, Emma, Sam, Meg and Ruby are coming into their own, quietly taking charge of their lives and making their own decisions. This is addictive historical crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Midnight Hour is the 6th book in the Brighton Mysteries series by Elly Griffiths. This one is a first in this series for me, though I have read several books in the Ruth Galloway series and one of the Postscript Murder books. I really enjoy this author’s writing style and the interesting, well developed characters she always includes.
This one starts right off with the death of a 90 year old Bert Billinger, former entertainer and producer. Once it’s determined he was poisoned, the story really begins. We have members of the police, two female private investigators(one a former police woman) and a cast of mysterious characters from the family and other former entertainers. The PIs are truly the main characters and they are Emma Holmes and Meg Connolly.
It was quite the page turner and I never was able to guess the murderer, which is rare. Overall, it’s a fun story with lots of twists. I really enjoyed the references to the beginning of the women’s movement in the 60’s, when it was truly about equality in the workplace and the home.
I highly recommend this author and this book as well as her others. I know I need to go back and read more of this series.
I received an ARC from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley, for an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

This series is getting better and better! We're back in 1965 Brighton, but time has passed since the 5th book in the series. Emma Holmes, a very talented detective in the previous books, has married Edgar Stephens, now Superintendent of Police, and thus was forced to retire from the police - no married women allowed! They now have 3 children, and Emma has decided to form her own private detective agency, with journalist Sam Collins, who also appeared in the 5th book. They are hired by a former showgirl, to solve the mystery of her husband's murder, a crime that is, of course, being simultaneously investigated by the police. They form an alliance with WDC Meg Connolly, still on the police force, and still not even allowed to drive a police car.

The three women work together well, and it's a pleasure to watch them solve the case. While Edgar does not actually stand in Emma's way, it's a bit of an uncomfortable situation! And, considering the time of the setting, needless to say there is not a lot of support for working mothers (even less than later). However, Emma manages, and it's fascinating to watch the three women work together and solve the case, despite the obstacles.

I really enjoyed the shift in focus, to Emma, Sam and Meg - I think this adds a whole new dimension to the series, and I'm definitely eager to read more!

Set in 1960’s Brighton England, this mystery revolves around the death of an aging impresario who is known for his romantic involvement with women. He’s found dead and his widow, an aging actress, is one of the suspects. She requests help from a private detective firm run by two women. While reading the previous books in the series might help the reader, Griffiths is able work pertinent backstory into the book Not only is the mystery interesting, but the British film industry and its inhabitants provides a great setting. The characters are well-fleshed out and while the plot is rather convoluted because of the numerous lovers the murdered man had and the illegitimate children he fathered, it’s a fun easy book to read.

So this book was really hard for me to keep track of. I am not sure if it was because I had a lot of things going on (holidays for one) or not. But it felt like it just kept switching from character to character and I just couldn’t keep up. I didn’t see the ending coming at all, so that was a plus for me. But I just wanted to finish the book and see what happened, I really wasn’t invested in the book that much because of how lost I was with all the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“The future belonged to women like her.”

The Midnight Hour is a cozy mystery with an edge.

When 90-year-old theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found dead in his home in Brighton in 1965, natural causes are assumed. However, the postmortem reveals Bert’s death was murder! Who could have wanted to kill Bert? Apparently, everyone, including his wife, sons, and the many women he scorned.

To solve the crime Bert’s wife, Verity, hires private detectives Emma Holmes and Sam Collins. The duo joins forces with the police, and Emma develops a special bond with WDC Meg Connolly.

This is the sixth book of The Brighton Mystery series but a first for me. Although I have not read the other books in the series, Griffiths provides enough background information to make it easy to follow along.

The narrative shifts between many characters, but the primaries are Emma, Sam, Meg, and Max Mephisto, a once-famous magician now turned actor. I liked all of their voices, but I wanted more of Emma, Meg, and Sam. The one downfall is that there are so many characters to keep track of that I got lost from time to time.

The Midnight Hour was so much fun to read! I love Griffiths' writing style--it has a witty, whimsical rhythm that kept me turning the pages. Emma, Meg, and Sam have moxie. There is a slight lag in the middle, but overall I enjoyed spending time in 1965 Brighton, especially reading about the movie stars and their tawdry affairs. The mystery was compelling; especially intriguing was why so many women gave into Bert's charms? This question leads to many others, and what is revealed is that death should have come sooner to Bert. He was a vile man. Griffiths explores many themes in this novel, but gender norms and class are at the forefront.

When I finished reading this, I kept thinking about the characters, especially Emma and Meg, which is a sign of a good book! I look forward to catching up on this series in 2022.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Elly Griffiths does it again with a pitch perfect murder mystery set in and near 1950s Bristol. Emma Holmes has married her former supervisor,Edgar and is now working as a private investigator Emma, Edgar, and their colleagues are once again plunged into the past of 1940s show business when a retired impresario is found poisoned in a quiet Sunday afternoon. A convoluted web of suspects and motives quickly encompasses Max Mephistopheles, his new Hollywood actress wife, the gorgeous actress Ruby and other characters from earlier in the series. Solid plot, just enough historical detail to create an atmosphere without becoming pedantic and a sense of the eerie and uncanny that can never quite be brushed aside make this a welcome addition to the Magic Men series.

This was a quick, quaint and enchanting read – a breath of fresh air compared to the usual crime novels I read. Sure, the bodies mount up, but in an almost cosy way, if there is such a thing. I enjoyed the fact that the police chief’s wife, Emma, is a private detective, and in this tale is investigating the same case as the police. What’s more, they actually all work well together.
An aging but still glamorous ex-chorus girl, Verity, hires Emma and Sam to investigate her husband’s death by poisoning. As the newbie private investigators begin their probe, they discover he has several enemies.
I really enjoyed all the plucky female characters. Meg, the naïve young policewoman, with whom Emma forms an unlikely bond, is totally wonderful. Give The Midnight Hour a go if you’re after something light, very readable and often humorous.

Do not need to read any others in the series to enjoy this 6th in a series. Set in Brighton in the 1950's. Emma Holmes Stephens has started a detective agency. She used to be a member of the police department, but she married Edgar, now Police Chief, and had three children. She is hired by former variety star Verity, to prove she didn't murder her husband. Soon Edgar's police department is agreeing it was poison and not a heart attack that killed Verity's husband. And soon both husband and wife are trying to solve not one, but two murders. And how does Max and his wife and new movie set fit into this puzzle? Who will be the first to solve the mystery, PI Emma, or Police Chief Edgar? Fun read.

Elly Griffiths is an author who does not rest on her laurels. I first got to know this author through her Ruth Galloway novels; so far, she has written thirteen of these. Ruth is a bit shambolic, very smart and a forensic archaeologist. Fans eagerly follow her relationship with (married) Nelson and her friends, including a Druid named Cathbad. This may all sound a bit odd but I assure you, these books are among my most favorite.

Ms. G. has also written two books in a new series. These are The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. These feature a lesbian, Musilin detective. They are complex and enjoyable.

The Midnight Hour is part of another series. This is an historical series that has featured magician Max Mephisto and Detective Edgar Stephens. The first, The ZigZag Girl was published about five years ago.

In this entry in the series, PI Emma and her partner, Sam Collins have at least one problem…Emma is married to Edgar Stephens who is also called in. Who murdered the husband of a music hall star? How will Emma and Edgar work together.. or not? And, where will Max fit in? Read this one to find out. It will provide readers with a small escape from daily life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Newly minted PI Emma Holmes and her partner Sam Collins are just settling into their business when they’re chosen for a high-profile case: retired music-hall star Verity Malone hires them to find out who poisoned her husband, a theater impresario. Verity herself has been accused of the crime. The only hitch—the Brighton police are already on the case, putting Emma in direct competition with her husband, police superintendent Edgar Stephens.

Soon Emma realizes that Verity’s life intersects closely with her own—most notably in their mutual connection, Max Mephisto, who has returned to England from America with his children and famous wife, Hollywood star Lydia Lamont. Lydia, desperately bored in the countryside, catches wind of what Emma and Sam are up to and offers her services. What secret does Lydia know about Verity’s past?

Wow what a book. I am still sat thinking about this book even though I finished it a few days ago. I cannot write a review to do this book justice. I was hooked from the first page. The writing is superb and enthralling and overall, I just loved this book

I don't generally love so-called cozy mysteries, but I had seen a lot of good reviews about Elly Griffiths' series so I decided to give this one a try. Even though The Midnight Hour is the sixth book in The Brighton Mysteries series, I enjoyed it as a stand-alone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not starting with book one, and I liked it enough to go back and read the whole series from the beginning.

The Midnight Hour takes place in the UK (Brighton, specifically) in 1965 and stars the two protagonists of the book series, Emma Holmes and Sam Collins. Emma is a former police detective, but is now married to Police Superintendent Edgar Stephens and raising 3 kids). Sam is a journalist, and she and Emma have teamed up to form their own private investigations agency. Most of their early cases involve finding lost pets, but they hit the jackpot when they are hired by Verity Billington. Verity is a aged show girl, married to a famous show business impresario named Bert Billington. She hires Emma and Sam because Bert is dead. He was discovered by Verity and his death was by poison. Since they live alone, Verity is Suspect Number One, not only believed to be the killer by the police, but even by her own son.

In investigating the case, Emma and Sam discover that Bert was hated by a whole host of characters, including the many women he slept with over the years, some of whom even bore his children. Bert and Verity have three sons. One manages the theater business, one is an actor, and one owns an automobile repair business. Only the latter son viewed Bert with any semblance of love.

The book moves along at a brisk pace and does a great job of developing the many characters, including another recurring character, an actor named Max Mephisto. It's also an interesting portrait of the 60's era when strong female professionals were still the exception and misogyny was in full bloom. I'm looking forward to reading other books in the series to get to know Emma and Sam more deeply. All in all, it was an excellent read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm very happy to have discovered author Elly Griffiths.

For fans of British police procedurals of the 1950 - 1960s television Era.

A famous singer, disinterested adult children, a marriage filled with secrets and complacency - death by rat poison.

Descriptive world building and a look at how the British police treated their female counterparts.

When the Brighton series by Elly Griffiths began in 2015 with The Zig Zag Girl, it was also called The Magic Men or Stephens and Mephisto series. The two main characters, DI Edgar Stephens and magician Max Mephisto are best friends, having met during WWII as members of the Magic Men, a small unit of men whose job it was to use illusion to deceive the Nazis and give the Allies the advantage. Over the previous five books of the series, and especially the last one, Now You See Them that jumped ahead ten years from #4, the characters and story lines have evolved to where The Brighton series more aptly describes the series. Elly Griffiths is such a brilliant writer/storyteller, and she knew that the ten-year leap was just the thing required at that point.

From book one, I've loved learning more about the 1950s in Brighton and the live variety circuit, then the winding down of the variety circuit and the movement toward television, and now the 1960s with its changes. I also have enjoyed the character roster growing, as Griffiths is a master of unique and mesmerizing characters, and more women stepping into leading roles. With the second book set in the 1960s (and the 6th book overall), the women of the series are getting their full due in the story line and running the show. But, I was delighted to still see a strong connection to the older days of the variety circuit in the story.

The mid-sixties in Brighton is on the cusp of change, but it is still very much a man’s world with women eagerly pushing the boundaries as they can. Our regular characters are well ensconced in their endeavors and pursuits, but as the author is always moving them forward, by the end of the book some of them will be on the cusp of change, too. Edgar Stephens is comfortable in his role as Superintendent and Emma Holmes, although married to Edgar and mother of three children, is more determined than ever to make her private detective agency a working concern. Emma was Brighton’s first policewoman, but married women aren’t allowed to be on the force yet. Emma’s business partner, Sam Collins, continues her full-time job as a journalist and is also working hard to make a success of the detective agency. Max Mephisto has established himself as a movie actor and is still married to the mother of his two young children, American actress Lydia Lamont. In fact, Max is currently living at his country estate in England while the movie in which he plays Dracula’s father is filming in Whitby. Ruby, Max’s daughter and former fiancée of Edgar Stephens, is a bigger celebrity than ever with her starring role in a British television detective series. DI Bob Willis is showing signs of growth in both his role as Detective Inspector and his mentoring of a female police officer, although he can’t change the rules, like women on the force not yet being allowed to drive police cars. The female police officer, WDC Meg Connolly, has stayed the course to be on the force despite the derision she faces from the male members. And, in speaking of the fantastic female characters, I can’t leave out Astarte Zabini, the medium, who has seen her share of challenges and maintained her autonomy. Of course, the characters either introduced or brought back from a previous book for the storyline of The Midnight Hour are all captivating and engaging, too.


Bert Billington, the renowned theatre impresario who started his career on the variety circuit, is dead at the age of 90, but old age isn’t a factor. Bert has been poisoned with rat poison, and although many people had reason to hate him, it won’t be easy to find his murderer. His widow, Verity, now 75, was once famous in her own right as Verity Malone, the most beautiful show girl and singer on the circuit. She and Bert produced three sons. Seth is a successful actor, and he is Dracula in the movie that Max Mephisto plays Dracula’s father. Son David has taken over the theatre business from Bert, and son Aaron owns a mechanic shop. It seems no one in Bert’s family would benefit greatly from his death, but Aaron suspects his mother Verity might have wanted Bert dead.

When Aaron shares his suspicions with the police, Verity hires Emma’s and Sam’s detective agency to investigate and prove her innocence. Verity prefers to deal with women in both the private and the police investigations, so it is WDC Meg Connally from the Brighton police force who conducts the interviews and develops a rapport with Verity. During the investigation, Emma and Meg become friends, as they share information and often join forces. Bert’s marital infidelities over the years left a trail of heartache and destruction, not to mention offspring, so the fallout from his affairs is a major part of the inquiries. The suspect list for Bert Billington tells a sad and sordid story of a self-indulgent life. Readers might be rooting for the killer to get away with the murder.



The Midnight Hour is by no means a diatribe against the obstructions to women’s independence, but Elly Griffiths does a deft job of showing how women are progressing in spite of the constraints put on them in the 60’s. The women are front and center in The Midnight Hour and demonstrating just how capable they are, dealing with those constraints to become more than the “female” roles society has assigned them. Emma must deal with being the one responsible for child rearing while pursuing a career she is both passionate about and excels at. Ruby is ahead of the curve by being an independent woman of means and success. Sam has had to use the advantage of her first name to get her jobs in journalism and prove she is equal or better than a male reporter. Meg is learning more about expanding her views of her abilities and those of all women. Reading The Feminine Mystique by feminist Betty Friedan is quite a shock to Meg, but it is presenting ideas about the strength and importance of women that will serve her well.

I highly recommend The Midnight Hour as another riveting read by the brilliant Elly Griffiths. I thank NetGalley and Quercus Publishing for an advanced reading copy.

Another great instalment in this series with main characters being Stephens and Mephisto by author Elly Griffiths.

A good investigation into the death of a man that was not very kind or lovable and who, throughout the years, has been accused of doing some terrible things.
The story is quite interesting as we have now Emma as a private investigator, trying to absolve the wife who is the prime suspect in this murder inquiry. In the same time we have her husband conducting the official investigation and it is nice to see them working together to find out the truth.
The political side of the book, with working moms and the woman's place in society, although it is appreciated as a mention, it was not something I am ever looking into reading when I pick up a murder investigation.

A great book and a really good mystery as it will have you try to guess till the end who the killer is.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read this great book!

While I still enjoy Elly Griffiths' characters, as the focus has shifted away from the Magic Men and toward the Brighton police more broadly, I have found my interest in the series waning a bit... Her writing continues to be strong and I do enjoy seeing where her characters are going, particularly her women, I am having a harder time feeling that immersive connection that I did when the focus was on Max and his crew as an unlikely source of investigation and action when it came to crime. With less focus on the unusual and quirky characters, the series is starting to feel more like a traditional. detective series, and I must admit that I really miss the more unusual cast featured more prominently in the earlier books. The increasing presence of Astarte here helped, and I'm cautiously optimistic about what will come now that Max has been yanked out of domestic bliss, but I must confess that this was not my favorite of the books and i had to push myself to keep reading through to the end....

This is the 6th book in the Brighton Mysteries. It takes place in 1965 and gives a good peek at the UK in the 60's. Emma Holmes has started her new Detective Agency and Sam Collins is her partner. Bert Billington, theatre impresario has been poisoned and his wife, Verity, is a suspect. She hires Emma's agency and secrets from the old music hall days abound. It's the era of The Women's Right Movement and women are not allowed to drive police cars. At times, Emma's child care falls through and that poses some problems. Griffith's writing is excellent and the characters are very interesting. It is a bit gruesome in parts for a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the surprise twist in the end and didn't guess the murderer. I'm now looking forward to the next book in the series. I would like to thank NetGalley and Mariner Books for a free copy for an honest review.

This is volume 6 of Griffiths' Brighton mysteries series. It focuses on Emma Holmes, a former policewoman and wife of the police chief and now a private investigator. She and her partner Sam Collins have an all female PI business, rare for women in the sixties. The story concerns the murder of a theatrical producer. His widow Verity, also in the theatre hires them to investigate his death. in addition to the police Verity is also a friend of Emma's family friend, Max Mephisto, who features in the investigation. The actions unfolds with the Brighton police and the PI's investigating, with Max consulting. It's a good story and Max's character is becoming more mature and complex. Recommended

In this sixth instalment of The Brighton Mysteries (previously the Magic Men series), The Midnight Hour, former showgirl Verity Malone engages former WDS Emma Stephens and journalist Sam Collins, whom have launched a private investigation firm, when she is implicated in the poisoning death of her husband, theater impresario, Bert Billington.

As it happens, Verity isn’t the only one who had reason to dislike Bert. A notorious narcissist and philanderer, he had a number of enemies, and Emma is excited by the opportunity to investigate, even though the situation may make things awkward for her husband, Superintendent Edgar Stephens.

Griffiths offers several red herrings as suspicion swirls around Verity, her long term housekeeper, Alma, the women’s adult children, a nosy neighbour and a mystery woman (or man) in a long brown coat. Max Mephisto, coincidently filming a movie co-starring Verity’s middle son, also becomes entangled in the case when it’s revealed he once had an affair with Verity.

WPC Meg Connolly, introduced in Now You See Them, plays a large role this novel, proving to be an eager, intuitive police officer, just as Emma was before being forced to retire upon her marriage. Griffiths continues to explore the lot of women in society during the era through the fates of Billingham’s carnal victims, the limits placed on Meg’s career, and Emma’s desire to be more than just a mother.

With its satisfying resolution to an interesting mystery, and engaging characters I enjoyed The Midnight Hour as much as previous instalments, and I look forward to the next.