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Lilian Watts
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Stage Door: A Cue to a Kill: A Theatrical Cozy Mystery Short Read Kindle Edition

by Lilian Watts (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 580
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The show must go on... but can it, when one of the actors has a cue to a kill?

Backstage at the last night performance of the murder-mystery play "Bone Chiller," a real life killer is stalking the corridors of the theater.

The Goose Meadow Bay Players' Halloween production has been declared an artistic success by enthralled audiences, but onstage and backstage the cast and crew are just a little bit bored.

On the last night, one of the actors has a great idea to liven things up and everything seems harmless enough, but then an attempt is made on one actor's life. Not long after that, another goes missing.

With the audience's laughter ringing in their ears, the cast are more intent on stardom than finding the potential murderer lurking amongst them. Can Kath keep the show running, the cast safe and make sure the killer sticks to the script?

This is a cozy mystery short read in the Stage Door series.

Interview with the Author


Q - What makes the Stage Door series special?

A – Part of what makes the Stage Door series special is its setting – onstage and backstage in a community theater group. The world of theater is a curious blend of real life and sparkles and glitter, and most people who are involved in amateur theater love it for exactly those reasons. Everyday life with the magic and excitement of a theater production on top – and with that comes lots of humor, drama, mayhem and heart.

All of this makes the Stage Door a perfect setting for humorous mysteries and romance – the wild, crazy, chaotic escapades of any bunch of egotistical wannabe actors and actresses means you’ll be laughing, crying or biting your nails in suspense. And with a good dash of musical theater thrown in, maybe you’ll even be dancing in the aisles!

Q - Do our readers have to read the Stage Door series in order?

A – As my books include both cozy mysteries and romantic comedies, a strict reading order isn’t really too important, but a common thread does run through them all. If you wanted to read them in order, this is probably a good start:

Stage Door: Love’s Theater
Stage Door: Playing Dead
Stage Door: A Cue to a Kill
Stage Door: The Art of Murder (coming soon)

Q – Why should our readers read the Stage Door series?

A – If you like sweet, clean romantic comedy or funny murder mysteries I think you’ll really enjoy the Stage Door series. One of the best things about Amazon is that it allows readers to take a chance on new writers like me. You can get enjoyable cozy mysteries delivered to your Kindle for less than the price of a cup of coffee – and if you’ve got a good cup of coffee to hand, all the better!

Q – What is your favorite kind of book? Would the Stage Door series fit on that list?

A - Absolutely! I’m a fan of mysteries in general and love all the classics – from The Cat Who books and Murder She Wrote to Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. Mix in a dash of theater and suddenly all the world really is a stage. Actually, have you ever noticed how ‘theatrical’ the classic mysteries were? Holmes was a born performer and there was always an actor in the best Agatha Christie stories.

The theatrical edge to the Stage Door series means I can write a book that can make me laugh and transport me away from the troubles of the world but at the same time feature real-life situations, with solid, sensible characters and storylines that make me think.

Plus, I’ve spent too much time playing around in community theater myself and I love the people. I guess I’ve just combined two things that I really love. I’m pretty sure you’ll end up loving them too.

Stage Door Cozy Mystery Series eBook Categories


- Cozy Murder Mysteries
- Cozy Mysteries Women Sleuths
- Humorous Murder Mysteries
- Sweet Romantic Mystery
- Funny Cozy Mysteries
- Cozy Mystery Short Stories
- Sweet Murder Mysteries
Previous page
  1. Print length
    44 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    1 May 2015
  5. File size
    2368 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00X0XBO9U
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2368 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 44 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 580

About the author

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Lilian Watts

Lilian Watts

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Lilian Watts has been messing about in community theater for far too long. As a singer, actor and director she has over 50 productions under her belt and solemnly swears never to do another Les Miserables again.

As a writer, Lilian has worked to combine two of her greatest loves: high quality cozy murder mysteries and the passion, chaos and magic of amateur theater. Her books are a blend of mystery, romance and humor, with a dash of theatricality all under the glow of the spotlight. She keeps her romances sweet and clean, but all the same, her women sleuths always come out on top.

Lilian currently lives in a small town on the coast in southern NSW Australia. You won't be surprised to learn she spends a great deal of her time in the theater.

You can visit her webpage at www.lilianwatts.com

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
580 global ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

sakuracj
5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the stage - what really happens?
Reviewed in Australia on 18 September 2018
Verified Purchase
A fun, fascinating, fast-paced read about the behind-the-scenes of a play in a theatre and the swirling, rising emotions stirred up by the close proximity of cast members during the run of a play. Highly recommended.
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Cheryl E
4.0 out of 5 stars Flat & Dry This Is Not!
Reviewed in Australia on 27 July 2017
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I give this 3.5 stars.

This was a humorous short story centering around a small town's local theatre group and a murderous mystery. The author did a wonderful job of immersing the reader right into the thick of the action with a varied assortment of the cheery, grumpy, campy, dour characters that made up the cast. It leaves you with a taste for knowing what happens next in the series, which is what a book like this should do. An enjoyable afternoon tea read.
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Top reviews from other countries

Lyn A
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2015
Verified Purchase
Very well written, amusing ,good read. Set in the theatre, the story moves at a good pace and has a happy ending.
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Rhino
3.0 out of 5 stars Size
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2021
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Easy reading
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Red Apple Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read
Reviewed in the United States on 5 October 2017
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Cozy mysteries are meant to be a little dangerous and a whole lot of fun. A CUE TO A KILL did not disappoint. I loved the characters, found the story progression to be light, fun, and entertaining. Yes, the story bordered on silly at times, but I believe that's middle-of-the-road for the genre. Occasional typos distracted from the read, along with consistent (at least) use of "fake words" like ALRIGHT. I did like the rampant stupidity backstage, and the strong sense of place in every scene. Almost like I was backstage with the actors, as sick of the show as they were. I'll definitely look for more books in this series.

Sensuality: Mild
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate (it is a murder mystery)
One person found this helpful
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Frank Carver
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun cozy mystery set behind the scenes of a mystery play
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 April 2022
Verified Purchase
It’s hard to avoid the tongue-in-cheek nature of this story, as it has so many levels to it. It all takes place during the preparations and performance of the final night of the “whodunnit” play “Bone Chiller”. Although popular with audiences, this play is not popular with the cast or the behind-the-scenes staff, so for the final night someone swaps the stage ginger ale for hard liquor. Just when performances are getting looser than they have any right to be, there’s an attempted murder behind the scenes.

By this point in the run of the play all the cast and staff know each other very well and it falls to accidental sleuth Kath to work out what is going on before the murderer succeeds. There’s the usual collection of grudges, lies, misdirections, misunderstandings and romances, and by the end of it even the local cop is up on stage.

All in all an enjoyable short read.
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VoraciousReader
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice, quick read
Reviewed in the United States on 23 September 2016
Verified Purchase
The Goose Meadow Bay Players are putting on the murder-mystery play "Bone Chiller," and it's their final night... Tech crew backstage is a bit bored, playing cards between cues and scenes, but then the drama heats up. Someone switches out the "ginger ale subbing in for alcohol" with the real deal, to lighten the mood, but then everyone's a bit tipsy by Act II. One actress is pushed down the stairs, one is tied up backstage before her scene, and there's someone running around with a knife...not a prop knife, either. Will Kath keep it together or will Lori cancel their final performance?

Seemed to be a spot-on representation of local theater.
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