“A page-turning mystery, larger-than-life protagonist, and a behind-the-scenes look at the glamorous and gritty world of drag…what more could you want?” —Mia P. Manansala, author of the bestselling Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series
U.K. drag queen Holly Stars brings her love of murder mysteries to the sequin-filled stage. Introducing Misty Divine!
Misty’s drag mother, Lady Lady, always says that drag should be a delight for all the senses, and Stars’ debut does not disappoint.
When Lady Lady is found dead in her dressing room beside a poisoned box of chocolates, Misty and her fellow performers become the prime suspects. Heartbroken by the loss and frustrated by the clear biases of the police–they’re more interested in the stolen gown Lady was wearing, rumored to have once been worn by Judy Garland—Misty must solve the crime before the culprit strikes again.
Stars drew on her experience and relished being able to shine a spotlight on her community. “The biggest opportunity was to showcase the amazing variety of talents in the UK drag scene.” We meet stand-up comedians, lip-syncers, a fire-eater, sketch artists and singers.
“I hope readers discover something new about the world of drag. Drag performers aren’t always presented in fiction as fully-rounded human beings and are often depicted solely in a professional or performance capacity. One of my goals was to show a world in which performance is just one element. There are relationships, friendships and community that we don’t often get to see.”
One unique challenge was writing the book from two perspectives: two sides of the same person. “Out of drag, Misty is Joe, a hotel accounts assistant who is nervous and sometimes too shy to pursue their investigation. But when in drag, their transformation gives them extra confidence. It was a challenge to get the right balance of these but really fun to explore on the page.”
We are what we read, and Holly Stars is no exception. Her love for mysteries began as a reader, and when deciding to write, she was drawn to the genre.
“I love a murder mystery—of all kinds, from cozy to thriller, from books to Hollywood blockbusters. As a reader I like to feel shocked and surprised by an unexpected twist and enjoy the satisfaction of finding out what happened at the end. Before the book I wrote the West End play, Death Drop, which was loosely inspired by Agatha Christie, so I’d had some experience with the genre already.”
Stars is also the producer and cohost of murder-mystery book review podcast, Read to Death, and is currently completing an accredited qualification in professional investigation, which will make her the world’s first drag queen private detective.
