‘Lights Burning Blue’ by Andrew Cullum

Published by Matador,
28 April 2016.
ISBN: 978-1-7846-2521-4

Brooklyn who likes to be known as Brooke, is an aspiring young actress newly arrived in Dorset to tour as Stage Manager with a production of Richard III. She learns of a recent murder which took place in the woods not far from the village hall where they will be rehearsing.

Brooke meets an old man named Archie who lives next to the hall and used to run the village hall as a theatre years before. He tells her she reminds him of his wife Sheelagh who died many years ago.

To Brooke's delight the leading lady leaves the cast to go for a screen test and Brooke is given her part. She gets on quite well with the cast but one of them Trevor, who plays the part of Richard III, acts rather oddly and Brooke starts to feel very nervous around him.

She is then asked to appear on Crimewatch in a reconstruction of the recent murder as she bears a resemblance to the murdered girl Lyn. She reluctantly agrees and gets a great fright during the filming.

Trevor confesses to Brooke that he and Lyn were once an item and she starts to feel even more uneasy about him. Could he have something to do with Lyn's murder?

All is eventually revealed and Brooke learns the truth about Lyn and who murdered her and why.

This is a lovely little book and I really enjoyed it. It contains just the right amount of creepiness and surprises to make the reader turn the pages in great anticipation.

I thought as I was reading it that Andrew Cullum showed a great insight in the theatre world and then I read that he actually is an actor, mainly in the theatre. No wonder it is so descriptive, great.

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Reviewer: Tricia Chappell

Andrew Cullum has worked as an actor, mainly in theatre, in roles as diverse as Richard III on a national tour, Dame in pantomime, and the title role in The Jolly Postman. Andrew has also narrated several audiobooks.

www.andrewcullum.co.uk

Tricia Chappell. I have a great love of books and reading, especially crime and thrillers. I play the occasional game of golf  (when I am not reading). My great love is cruising especially to far flung places, when there are long days at sea for plenty more reading! I am really enjoying reviewing books and have found lots of great new authors.