Played to Death

Ripley’s second whodunit featuring book editor turned library assistant Roland Wilkes (after Buried Above Ground) is another sly winner. Roland is approached at work by Adam Cunningham, an attorney and member of the Hopewell Players repertory, who offers him £300 to read a script titled Death for Dessert that his theater troupe is considering performing. Adam loathes the play and is looking for a reason not to stage it—an uphill battle given that the script was written by the father of Councillor Jemma Soulby, a powerful local politician and the Hopewell Players’ main producer, who insists the company give her father’s work a platform. Eager for an easy payday, Roland agrees to offer Adam his honest thoughts, only to discover that Jemma’s father has stolen the entire script from bits of other, more famous texts. Before Roland’s findings can halt the production, someone involved with the play is murdered. The ensuing investigation follows Roland, Adam, Jemma, and detective inspector Toni Walker, who’s assigned to the case. Breezy in tone but ingenious in construction, Ripley’s playful mystery deserves a standing ovation. Fans of Simon Brett’s Charles Paris series will be delighted. (June)