The play was supposed to end with a bang—not a body.

It’s a picture-perfect autumn evening in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and retired detective Bill O’Shea is enjoying a local theater production under the stars in Wintergreen, Virginia. But when a prop gun fires a very real bullet and one of the actors collapses onstage, the show takes a deadly turn.

The victim is Blake Merriman — the play’s producer, leading man, and well-known heartbreaker with a reputation for stirring up trouble. As Bill begins to ask questions, he steps into a world of backstage drama, old romances, and hidden rivalries — where nearly everyone had a reason to see Blake take his final bow.

But how did a gun loaded with blanks become a murder weapon?

To solve the case, Bill will need sharp instincts, a steady hand — and maybe a little help from his new neighbors — before the killer slips away and the curtain falls for good.

Murder Stage Right is the sixth book in the Wintergreen Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.

Series fans will enjoy the return of their favorite characters, including Bill O’Shea, Officer Krista Jackson, Rachel Dunn, the groundhog Mr. Chips, and a beautiful black Lab named Max.

Order Patrick Kelly’s page-turning cozy mystery today!

PRAISE FOR WINTERGREEN MYSTERIES

"Smart policework wins again! Engaging characters, beautiful imagery of places in the mountains, surprising twists, and diverting red herrings. Great read!" - Goodreads review

"I found the book very entertaining, and it is a great whodunit if you like mysteries with a surprise ending. I hope to read more about these characters that I have come to know and like so much!" - Goodreads review

"I love this series! Key pleasures for me are that Book 2 doesn't miss a beat continuing character relationships established in Book 1, and each book can be enjoyed effectively as a stand-alone mystery. That said, I do recommend reading this series in order for comprehensive reading delight." - Goodreads review

"I kept changing my mind on who I thought was guilty and when the reveal finally came, I was happy with the choice of killer, but also somewhat surprised." - Goodreads review