Quick Curtain - (British Library Crime Classics) by Alan Melville (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>"Originally published in 1934 by Skeffington"--Copyright page.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>'Don't talk bunk!' said Mr Douglas. 'You can't carry on with the show with a man dying on stage. Drop the curtain!'</p> <p>When Douglas B. Douglas - leading light of the London theatre - premieres his new musical extravaganza, Blue Music, he is sure the packed house will be dazzled by the performance. What he couldn't predict is the death of his star, Brandon Baker, on stage in the middle of Act 2. Soon another member of the cast is found dead, and it seems to be a straightforward case of murder followed by suicide.</p> <p>Inspector Wilson of Scotland Yard - who happens to be among the audience - soon discovers otherwise. Together with Derek, his journalist son, Wilson takes charge of proceedings in his own inimitable way.</p> <p>This is a witty, satirical novel from the golden age of British crime fiction between the world wars. It is long overdue for rediscovery and this new edition includes an informative introduction by Martin Edwards, author of <i>The Golden Age of Murder</i>.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>Alan Melville's <i>Quick Curtain</i> is more than just a detective novel set in the theatre....Before the novel begins, there is a printed playbill of the characters and in the structuring of the novel itself where every chapter ends on a cliff-hanger, the way a melodramatic play might close an act or a scene. The style of writing, which is often used to set up a location or a character can be likened to a play script, concise, sharp and crisp...For all those who enjoy comic detective novels, which don't take themselves too seriously I would definitely recommend this tale; the humorous investigative style and dialogue of Inspector Wilson and Derek make this an enjoyable read.-- "<b><i>Crossexamining Crime</i></b>"<br><br>Blows the solemn structure of the detective novel sky-high ... Light entertainment is Mr. Melville's aim, and a fig for procedure!-- "<b>Dorothy L. Sayers</b>"<br><br>Full marks to Melville for his <i>Pagliacci</i>-like premise, which predates Michael Innes' better-known use of onstage homicide in <i>Hamlet, Revenge!</i> by three years, and for a confident, waspish wit perfectly suited to his theatrical milieu...-- "<b><i>Kirkus Reviews</i></b>"<br><br>I am going to go all out and say that <i>Quick Curtain</i> is the best detective novel I have read, after Agatha Christie's. A big claim, yes, but deserved - this was a huge delight of a novel....a thousand hurrahs to the British Library and Martin Edwards for rediscovering Alan Melville.-- "<b><i>Shiny New Books</i></b>"<br><br>Melville's jaunty, chatty tone (he frequently reminds readers where they are in the plot) gives us an insider's look at everyone connected to the theater world, including critics who recycle their reviews. A wonderfully fun British Library Crime Classics revival.--Connie Fletcher "<b><i>Booklist</i></b>"<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><p><strong>ALAN MELVILLE</strong> (1910-1983) was a well-known television broadcaster, as well as a playwright, producer, and scriptwriter. Among his works are several crime novels from the 1930s, often set in the popular entertainment world he knew firsthand. <em>Quick Curtain </em>and <em>Death of Anton</em> were reissued as British Library Crime Classics in 2015.</p>
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