Review: MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW by Bev Robitai

Murder in the Second Row
By Bev Robitai
Reviewed by Craig Sisterson

Photographer Bev Robitaille spent much of the 1980s and 1990s in Nelson, heavily involved in local theatre. When her first murder mystery was published recently (under the name Robitai), she returned to Nelson to launch the book at the Theatre Royal, the inspiration for the fictional ‘Regent Theatre’ of her story.

Theatre manager Jessica Jones is trying to keep the historic t going, under attack from mounting repair bills, fickle audiences, and developers and councillors keen on bulldozing the landmark building in order to put up a modern shopping mall that could bring business to Whetford, a fictional regional centre that echoes many aspects of real-life Nelson. Hope rests on the upcoming production of Agatha Christie’s ‘Appointment with Death’, but preparations are thrown into chaos when young harlot Tamara Fitzpatrick is found dead in the theatre during rehearsals. In true showbiz fashion, the show must go on, and Jessica has to juggle the production, a police investigation, her attraction to one of the detectives, and an escalating series of crazed threats being made against the theatre.

Robitai’s first effort is a well-constructed ‘cosy’ mystery of the Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh style, filled with a cast of interesting character and a few plot twists. Her theatre setting is a real strength - she evokes the details and atmosphere very well, giving readers a nice ‘peek behind the curtain’ - and she has a smooth writing style that keeps the pages flowing.

This review was originally published in the January 2011 issue of WildTomato magazine

You can purchase an electronic version of MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW (in a variety of formats - Kindle, html, .pdf etc), for US$3.90 from Smashwords (see here).

Do you like the sound of MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW? Do you enjoy mysteries based around the theatre? Thoughts and comments welcome.

MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW: another 2010 Kiwi crime fiction debut!

I was trawling around the Internet in the past couple of days, looking for some New Zealand crime fiction-related content, when I stumbled upon another New Zealand-based author who had published a debut murder mystery this year.

Bev Robitaille is a photographer for publications in New Zealand and overseas and a freelance writer for magazines like Next. Born in the UK, she has lived on Auckland's North Shore for 12 years, and spent the prior two decades in Nelson (my hometown). Her first crime novel, MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW, was launched at the Theatre Royal in Nelson earlier this year (the eagle-eyed among you will have noted the name discrepency on the book jacket - Robitaille has published her murder mystery under the name Bev Robitai). Here is the blurb for the debut mystery:

"There are many things that can go wrong between casting a show and Opening Night. Finding a body in the second row is just one of them.

Jessica Jones is well aware that the old Regent Theatre is at crisis point. As theatre manager she is responsible for most of the productions staged there, and this show is the last chance to prove that the place can make enough money to be worth saving.

Rehearsals begin, and it’s not long before hot little Tamara Fitzpatrick is distracting all the guys under 70 with her wicked ways. Someone disapproves, and Tamara is found dead in the auditorium after the promotional photoshoot.

Now Jessica has to cope with finding a replacement for Tamara, and finding a new rehearsal venue. And as if life wasn’t complicated enough, Jack Matherson, the police officer heading the investigation, seems to be taking an unusual interest in her."

There is of course a great tradition of mixing murder mysteries and the theatre. Our very own Dame Ngaio Marsh, who was awarded her "damery" for services to theatre - she played a strong role in resurrecting the flagging theatre scene in New Zealand, set several of her Inspector Alleyn mysteries in theatre-related locations. I am currently reading MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW, having purchased an ebook copy on Smashwords (a good option for overseas readers of Crime Watch; it's available at a very reasonable price there).

For those in New Zealand who'd like a hard copy of the book, I understand that Borders Albany is stocking the book, and it is also available for order from online booksellers Wheelers.

It's great to see more New Zealand-written crime fiction hitting booksellers shelves (online and physical). Maybe it's just my skewed perspective, but I really do think we have something building here downunder, and its great to see.

Do you like the sound of MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW? Do you like murder mysteries set in the world of theatre? If you've read it, what do you think? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Murder Down the Line: murder mystery dinner theatre at Nelson's historic Founders Park tonight and tomorrow

When I was back in Nelson earlier this week, visiting friends and family before heading to Christchurch for the presentation of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award, I noticed a poster in a bookstore about an interesting dinner theatre event on this weekend.

Tonight and tomorrow night at Nelson's historic Founders Park, Nelson Repertory Theatre are performing 'Murder Down the Line', a classic 'Golden Age' murder mystery specially written for the 'stage' by Nelson local Penny Taylor and produced and directed by her husband, Gordon, who also plays the part of the train conductor (see Nelson Mail news story for more information).

According to the Nelson Mail, the audience will follow the action as it moves from setting to setting. "Beginning on the train, the action soon moves to the engine shed, where the murder is revealed, before a brief return to the train setting and a break for dinner – during which the characters continue in their roles – before an exciting conclusion. In true Christie style, after supper the murderer will be revealed, with a prize going to the first correct guess."

Founders Park is a charming heritage park in Nelson (my childhood hometown), that evokes "life as it was in Nelson in the 1880s to 1930s". You can read more about Founders Park at the Nelson City Council website here. So this fun setting should make for a very intriguing and enjoyable night out. Wish I could be there. I suggest any crime fiction fans in or around Nelson, especially those who are fans of Ngaio Marsh or Agatha Christie-esque classic murder mysteries, head along tonight or tomorrow for what promises to be a good show.

Murder Down the Line: a supper theatre event,

Friday and Saturday December 3-4 at 7pm,

tickets $27, dinner included.

For tickets and further information:

phone Gordon and Penny on 03 545 1765 or email gordonandpenny@actrix.co.nz