Murder and mayhem backstage at the pantomime, from professional actress turned crime writer.

Some people will do anything to sell tickets.

Even murder...

Christmas: a time of peace and goodwill.

Oh no it isn't, thinks Detective Inspector Paul Banham, called out to a suspicious death at the local theatre, right in the middle of the pantomime. Was it an accident - or murder?

On the other side of the curtain Banham and his reluctant squad find the glamour distinctly tarnished. Rivalries, grudges and illicit liaisons begin to surface as the investigation gets under way, and it's soon clear that the dressing rooms are a hotbed of long-standing resentments.

A second death leaves Banham in no doubt that there's a murderer on the loose - but the panto is sold out and show must go on.