Nothing is as it seems, and somebody dunnit . . .

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

REVIEW

A festive environment is the backdrop of the latest murder mystery by Dorothy M Fletcher where the cast of Usual Suspects is a group of carol singers — the Golden Years Fun Club — enjoying the aftermatch party at a winery.

In the first act of “Caroling Catastrophe” we meet the characters. There’s womanising, whisky-drinking inebriate Watson (Fraser Grout) and his long-suffering wife Vicky (Wendy Dewstow).

Then there is Sue (Paula Hatten), recently widowed and implicated in causing the car crash which killed her late husband. She has just received the insurance payout.

We learn Ayden (Arran Dunn) is a former cop who left the force in disgrace. Naïve Amara (Phillippa Sherry) discovers she has been conned by her latest romantic partner while bossy and opinionated Nora (Julie McPhail) is a woman with a secret past and more. Her companion is the quiet Sylvie (Christine McKnight) who helps her with secretarial duties. But she too is hiding something.

Tony, played by Mikey Jones, is a happy fellow, always joking — or so it seems.

Lili (Amber Aitkenhead), likes a drink but when she has one too many, sparks can fly.

As for Briana (Rachel Crawford), she holds down a top job and is friendly.  But is she really?

Sadie, played by writer Dorothy Fletcher,  is a single woman living a quiet life. Did she do it?

Each has their own backstory and many seem to have motive which is what makes the solving of the murder particularly tricky — so difficult in fact that no one guessed correctly on opening night.

The murderers will change as the show continues so let this be a warning that one needs to be sharp and watch out for red herrings.

As the plot unfolds we learn the group of carollers is a front for a different sort of club. As a sideline the group entertains at resthomes and accepts bequests that are going into a fund which will ultimately allow them to leave this town and make a fresh start.

There’s bribery, blackmail, fraud and other dastardly deeds as we discover the victims were in fact con artists, many of whom the carollers could plausibly want dead.

Don’t let the decorations and lively carol singing distract you from the task at hand . . . there is a murder to solve!