🎭 Book Review: Murder at the Royal Ruby by Nita Prose (Kindle Edition, Obsession Collection)
A theatrical whodunit with a touch of glamour and grit—Nita Prose delivers a compact mystery that explores ambition, envy, and the blurred line between justice and obsession.
🧠 Overview
Published in July 2023 as part of Amazon Original Stories’ Obsession Collection, Murder at the Royal Ruby is a 27-page short story by Nita Prose, bestselling author of The Maid. This tale unfolds in the opulent yet possibly haunted Royal Ruby Theater, where Grace, a young usher with dreams of stardom, finds herself at the center of a real-life murder mystery.
When the glamorous but venomous lead actress Vanessa Hargreaves is killed onstage—crushed by a falling chandelier—Grace takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. But as she digs deeper, the question arises: is she seeking justice, or something more sinister?
🎭 Key Themes & Highlights
- 👩🎤 Ambition and envy: Grace’s yearning for the spotlight contrasts sharply with Vanessa’s diva-like dominance
- 🕯️ Haunted setting: The Royal Ruby Theater adds gothic flair and atmospheric tension to the mystery
- 🧠 Unreliable motives: Grace’s investigation is driven by personal desire as much as truth, adding psychological complexity
- 💬 Prose’s signature style: Crisp writing, flawed characters, and subtle twists make this a compelling short-form read
“The curtain rises, and the chandelier falls—taking the star of the show down with it.” — Goodreads summary
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.14/5 from over 10,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers enjoy the theatrical setting, quirky characters, and fast pacing
- 🧾 Some felt the story lacked the emotional depth of The Maid, but appreciated its playful tone and twist ending
- 💬 “A short, engrossing read with an interesting cast and a moody theater backdrop. Grace is a character you want to root for—even when you’re not sure you should.” — Goodreads reviewer
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 27 pages, it’s a quick read—best approached as a stylish vignette rather than a full mystery arc
- 📚 Character-driven: Focuses more on Grace’s psychology and ambition than on procedural sleuthing
- 🧾 Part of a collection: One of several stories in the Obsession series, each exploring characters pushed to extremes
🏁 Final Verdict
Murder at the Royal Ruby is a snappy, atmospheric mystery that plays out like a one-act drama—complete with backstage secrets, diva rivalries, and a protagonist whose motives are as murky as the shadows behind the curtain. Nita Prose’s storytelling is sharp and theatrical, making this a satisfying read for fans of short-form suspense with a dramatic flair.
