First edition cover | |
Author | Caroline Graham |
---|---|
Country | England |
Series | Chief Inspector Barnaby series |
Genre | Mystery |
Publisher | Century |
Publication date | 13 April 1989 |
Media type | Print (Hardcover & Softcover) |
Pages | 272 |
ISBN | 0-7126-2911-4 |
Preceded by | The Killings at Badger's Drift |
Followed by | Death in Disguise |
Death of a Hollow Man is a detective novel by English writer Caroline Graham published by Century in 1989. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a stage actor during an ongoing play. It is the second volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by The Killings at Badger's Drift and followed by Death in Disguise . It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders .
While attending an amateur production of Amadeus to watch his wife, Joyce's performance, Chief Inspector Barnaby witnesses the gruesome, all-too realistic murder of an actor on stage, after the tape applied to blunt the razor blade used to slit his character's throat is removed, revealing the lethal blade.
As he investigates the shocking crime, Barnaby unearths a whole host of dark passions and resentments nestling beneath the surviving cast's genial facade.
Publishers Weekly stated in its review of the novel: "A most enjoyable read, right down to the classic gathering of all the suspects at which Barnaby reveals the killer and the motive." [1] Of Graham's writing, Kirkus Reviews noted: "Graham surely knows her way around the village mystery, touching on all its earmarks: the gossip, the small-mindedness, the noses in everybody's business. And her theatrics ring true. But familiarity, in her case, does not quite equal originality. A middling cozy, then, that needs a few inspired jolts." [2] Elaine Kendall, a book critic of the Los Angeles Times expressed: "As a satire on amateur theater and the idiosyncratic types who invade it, “Death of a Hollow Man” is often amusing, faltering only when author Caroline Graham reaches for the archly dated style of Allingham, Christie or Marsh. Using Tim and Avery for campy comic relief also seems a tad passe." [3]
The novel was adapted into the third episode of season one of Midsomer Murders, starring (alongside regulars John Nettles and Daniel Casey) Bernard Hepton, Debra Stephenson, Janine Duvitski, Angela Pleasence, Nicholas Le Prevost and John Cater. [4]
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in June 1926 in the United Kingdom by William Collins, Sons and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company. It is the third novel to feature Hercule Poirot as the lead detective.
Midsomer Murders is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz from the novels in the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, and broadcast on two channels of ITV since its premiere on 23 March 1997. The series focuses on various murder cases that take place within small country villages across the fictional English county of Midsomer, and the efforts of the senior police detective and his partner within the fictional Causton Constabulary to solve the crime by determining who the culprit is and the motive for their actions. It identifies itself differently from other detective dramas often by featuring a mixture of lighthearted whimsy and dark humour, as well as a notable soundtrack that includes the use of the theremin instrument for the show's theme tune.
Caroline Graham is an English playwright, screenwriter and novelist.
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Neil Dudgeon is an English actor who, since 2011, has played DCI John Barnaby in the ITV drama series Midsomer Murders. He replaced John Nettles in the lead role.
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Written in Blood is a crime novel by English author Caroline Graham, and first published by Headline in 1992. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a retired civil servant. It is the fourth volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Death in Disguise and followed by Faithful unto Death. It has been adapted into an episode in ITV drama Midsomer Murders.
The Killings at Badger's Drift is a mystery novel by English writer Caroline Graham and published by Century in 1987. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of an elderly spinster in a rural village. It is the first volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, followed by Death of a Hollow Man. In 1997, it was adapted as the pilot of Midsomer Murders, a popular ITV television series based on Graham's books.
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Faithful unto Death is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 1996. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the case of a missing woman. It is the fifth volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Written in Blood and followed by A Place of Safety. It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.
Death in Disguise is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 1992. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a cult member. It is the third volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Death of a Hollow Man and followed by Written in Blood. It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.
A Place of Safety is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 1999. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a man in a village. It is the sixth volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Faithful unto Death and followed by A Ghost in the Machine.
Dead in the Water is the second episode of the eighth season of British television show Midsomer Murders and the thirty seventh episode overall. It stars John Nettles as Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and John Hopkins as Detective Sergeant Dan Scott. The boating scenes were filmed in Henley, Oxfordshire.
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