This is not just a mystery, it is a comedy of errors too. The characters are painted broad and quirky. The action is a little Keystone Kop, Laurel and Hardy and Marx Brothers. But there is a murder, a murderer, a ex Scotland Yard detective, a French policeman, a cynical, blackmailing critic, a baron, the members of the ballet troupe, and other colourful characters.

Vladimir Stroganoff, impresario of the Stroganoff Ballet, sees a casino located in La Bazouch for sale. He reasons that the income from the casino could help finance and promote his ballet to even a higher level. He dashes off, meets up with Baron Rabinovitch and buys the place sight unseen. Thinking it is the glamourous casino he sees as he enters the town, he is definitely unhappy to find that it is a run down place not in the best part of town. But he prefers to see the positive and sets up shop.

Citrolo is a known cynical ballet critic who also makes his living blackmailing. Stroganoff tries to get a good review out of Citrolo but finds he can't. At that point, Stroganoff slips sleeping drops into Citrolo's drink and then writes his own glowing review, signing Citrolo's name to it. When Stroganoff is finished, Citrolo is still asleep, so Stroganoff leaves Citrolo to sleep it off in the office. The next day Citrolo is found to be dead. There are multiple clues/red herrings found in the office, along with the fact that Stroganoff left the room locked when he left. Yup, locked room mystery.

Quill, the ex-Scotland Yard detective, is in town for a vacation but is pulled in to investigate for Stroganoff. Meanwhile, Stroganoff is arrested and thrown in jail along with his business rival Buttonhooke. Quill is left to investigate on his own, interviewing a cast of strange and unusual people.

Even though this has the trappings of a standard mystery (is there such thing) I think reading it and being open for the character personalities, madcap situations and actions is more in line with what the authors intended. Brahms and Simon were well known in the 1920s and 1930s. It may have been the "golden age" of mysteries, but there was also quite a bit of comedy and humour too. ( )

The more you know about the Ballet, the funnier it will be. I hope. I don't know about the ballet, and not much about the hotel business. Read the two funny books by this team, "Don't Mr. Disraeli!", and "No Bed For Bacon" instead. ( )