The G-String Murders

Narrating the twisted tale of a backstage double murder, Gypsy Rose Lee, the queen of the striptease, provides a tantalising glimpse into the underworld of burlesque theatre in 1940s America. When one performer is found strangled with a G-string, no one is above suspicion. A host of clueless coppers face off against the theatre’s tough-talking guys and dolls, and when a second murder occurs, it’s clear that Gypsy and her cohorts will have to crack the case themselves. A dazzling and wisecracking murder mystery noir that was the basis of the 1943 film Lady of Burlesque, starring Barbara Stanwyck.

“Burlesque is the background ... [and] the background is perfect. Recommended for the readers who feel better when their eyebrows are raised.” The New Yorker
“A lurid, witty and highly competent detective story ... Rich showbusiness vocabulary and stage-door gags make her book almost a social document. The G-String Murders build up to a hair-raising climax.” Time magazine
“[Lee’s] novel is a rich and lusty job, brimming over with infectious vitality and a hilarious jargon of her own.” Life

Gypsy Rose Lee (1911–1970) was the most famous American burlesque performer of her day. Renowned as much for her witty repartee as her striptease act, she also appeared in 12 films and her own TV show. A regular contributor to The New Yorker, Lee published two novels and her memoir, Gypsy (1957), which became the inspiration for the hugely popular Broadway musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable and the 1962 film starring Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood.

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