9 July 2012

Review: BODY ON THE STAGE, Bev Robitai(lle)

  • Format: Kindle (Amazon)
  • File Size: 431 KB
  • Print Length: 170 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Avenue Publishing (April 26, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B007Y2PVME
  • Source: I bought it
Synopsis (Amazon)


Dennis Dempster is fat, lonely, and dissatisfied with his life, but things are about to change. He joins a theatre group that’s staging a production of Ladies Night, full of male strippers, muscles and buff bodies. Suddenly fitness becomes a new option. In the course of his transformation he finds new friends, new purpose and a new love. And then he finds a dead body.

Join your favourite characters back in the Regent Theatre with this second story in the Theatre Mystery series. Jessica and Gazza are on hand to guide newcomer Dennis Dempster around the theatre, but he’s in even more foreign territory when he gets to the gym. Lucky he has Cathy, the gym owner, on hand to look after him.

If you're inspired by Dennis' transformation, there are tips from a professional nutritionist to help you lose weight.

My Take

I need to confess that I was just a little disappointed with this, the second in the series set in Whetford's Regent Theatre. It seemed to lack a little bit of grit. In her note to the readers at the end, the author reveals what inspired the main plot line, the weight loss theme. I thought there was a little too much of this in the book, although some will enjoy it more than I did.

There is a death but the clues to who was responsible were a little heavy and I guessed "whodunnit" and why fairly early on. I thought opportunities to make the plot a little more complex, to lay a few red herrings were missed.

As with the first book in the series, the dialogue is light, includes some comedy, and some romance.
It is a quick read.

My rating: 4.0
    Also from the author:
    You can read more about the Regent Theatre in Murder in the Second Row, available worldwide in print or as an ebook via www.letsbuybooks.weebly.com.   The Theatre Royal is safe now after her $6 million refit, but there are many theatres round the world in imminent danger of demolition if their communities fail to protect them. Next on my list to support is the glorious old St James Theatre in Auckland.
Bev Robitai's website.

See Margot Kinberg's excellent review

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kerrie - I'm sorry you were a little disappointed in this one. I agree that it's a light, uncomplicated read and there is definitely an emphasis on getting in shape. I have to admit I liked the theatre setting :-).

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin