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Cast in Order of Disappearance (A Charles Paris Mystery Book 1) by [Simon Brett]

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Simon Brett

Cast in Order of Disappearance (A Charles Paris Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Simon Brett (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

232 ratings

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Book 1 of 20: A Charles Paris Mystery

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Who killed Marcus Steen, the theatrical tycoon with a fortune to leave to his young mistress Jacqui? And who killed Bill Sweet, the shady blackmailer with a supply of compromising photographs? Charles Paris, a middle-aged actor addicted to booze and women, decides to investigate by assuming a variety of roles, among them that of the mythical Detective Sergeant McWhirter. But, as Paris is about to discover only too painfully, impersonating a police officer is never a good idea.

Print length

184 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Severn House
Publication date

November 21, 2011
File size

274 KB
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon Brett, called by The Baltimore Sun "one of the wittiest mystery writers around", is the author of the Mrs. Pargeter Mystery series, and the creator of the Charles Paris mysteries. Death on the Downs is the second novel in the new Fethering Mystery series, following The Body on the Beach. A former president of Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association and Chair of the Society of Authors, he lives in the south of England with his family. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B006CVNU7G
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House (November 21, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 21, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 274 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 184 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #528,913 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #12,916 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- #38,549 in Mysteries (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
232 ratings

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5 star		40%
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3 star		19%
2 star		7%
1 star		6%

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Top reviews from the United States

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J. Lawson

A flawed Hero

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 22, 2013

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In modern literature, or indeed in modern entertainments, every hero must have a flaw. Charles Paris' flaw is alcoholism. Because this hits close to home, it is hard for me to think of his flaw as humorous. On the other hand, Simon Brett's greatest strength as an author is that he can make humiliation, disastrous choices and violence very funny. Cast in Order of Disappearance was Brett's first work featuring the Charles Paris, an occasionally successful actor and it is one of the best in the long-running series, all of which feature an insider's view of life (and death) in the British theater (theatre).

2 people found this helpful

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Il Gatto Curioso

A nice beginning of an amateur sleuth-professional actor career even if ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 7, 2014

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A nice beginning of an amateur sleuth-professional actor career even if most of the characters are absolutely incorrect politically and morally. Personally I like the Feathering Mysteries by the same author more but plan to proceed reading about Charles Paris too.

One person found this helpful

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food lover

Behind the curtains amusing mystery

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 11, 2013

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For Simon Brett readers, this is enjoyable and typical as we follow his inept bumbling actor protagonist into the search for a killer.
If you are not familiar with this writer, start now, for an amusing tale.

One person found this helpful

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AT

Good Story, Interesting Characters

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 30, 2015

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Fun story. The type of mystery that keeps you entertained and engaged without bringing on the clouds of doom. No gore. Good quality writing that doesn't make you wince... which is too common a feature in the mystery genre.

4 people found this helpful

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T J Ryder

Good

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 2, 2013

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Nice to read something without todays technology, good old fashioned fun all the way, but a little too drunken, the character of Paris.

One person found this helpful

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Adelia Carroll

Shakespeare Ego's and Murder under the Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 3, 2017

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Great 12th night performed by a really odd cast funny witty and and good insight to stage actors.

2 people found this helpful

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mlouise

Clever and fun

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 1, 2019

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Love his theatre mysteries!

One person found this helpful

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joyce

cast in order of disappearance ---Simon Brette

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 14, 2013

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Simon Brett always writes an interesting book---ALWAYS---his writing is the very best and the characters are always colorful---one of his books will make an interesting day especially if the weather is cold and snowy

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Mr. A.J. PENDLEBURY

A very good beginning but these publishers are deterring more readers.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 9, 2021

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I have long enjoyed Brett's work ,particularly on BBC Radio 4. A skilful and versatile writer . It was no surprise to have a very readable and well paced crime novel . Of course Charles Paris is a big character ,but I found much to enjoy here with the minor players .

Maybe at times the plot was swamped by outside detail or ribaldry and I guess that would work very well on broadcast . I was going to say I am looking forward to reading more books in the series BUT not at these prices. I wish Severn House would take a reality check . They have some good authors on their backlist ,but their e book prices are way out of step compared to Dean Street/British Library/Ipso books etc etc.

2 people found this helpful

marion

Simon Brett

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 2, 2022

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Delivery excellent but I must have outgrown my fondness for Brett's novels which now seem rather repetitive and dull... loads of references to Charles Parris's drunkenness and tendencies to grope every femail in whichever performance he's taking part in.. his relationship with his priggish daughter and her husband who insists on calling him "pop' IS funny though.

Marion in Hailey Oxfordshire

Assynteach

A highly enjoyable introduction to the Charles Paris series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 1, 2015

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An engaging protagonist in the form of a once-great actor now reduced, by age and alcohol, to bit part roles, but retaining his charm and resilience, is drawn rather against his will to investigating the circumstances around the death of a famous theatrical impresario.
Theatrical characters abound and the contemporary setting of the 1970s three-day week and petrol shortages give depth as well as feeding into the plot.
This plot is teasingly unguessable till the very end where what might initially seem a rather weak part of it is neatly seen in to make a finally solid whole.
Altogether a great introduction to the long series of Charles Parish books by Simon Brett which was to follow. If you like a well-drawn background world, great puzzles and a believably amateur sleuth whose sf-awareness overrides his weaknesses then the whole series is a nostalgic treat, even for those of us who had to endure living through the 70s.
Read this, then read the rest.

One person found this helpful

Paul Harding

Bill Nighy rules, OK?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 7, 2013

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These Beeb full cast productions are, as I've said before, simply excellent, with great adaptations by Jeremy Front ( who surely deserves a cover credit!) from the terrific series of Charles Paris books by Simon Brett. The casting is quite on the money, with Mr N well supported by all. I've noted that some purists don't like the "liberties" taken with the original books- Frances is a main character in the radio series (beautifully played by Suzanne Burden), but is peripheral in the books. Maurice, Charles' agent, is much more to the front on radio too. Enjoy these plays, then seek out the original books. PS please Beeb, can you do the same with Mr B's Mrs Pargeter novels?

5 people found this helpful

Smartyfartblast

Poolside read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 15, 2021

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A very entertaing read. Ideal for a Dordogne pool side in July. Pity its bloody February in Lincolnshire in lockdown.

One person found this helpful

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