Smoke and Mirrors

@2@@20@Brighton, 1950s, mid-winter. Two missing children are found buried under snow in this chilling new case for DI Stephens and Max Mephisto. Max‘s star turn in @18@Aladdin @19@has been overshadowed by the murder ­­of two local children. With fairy tales in the air, it‘s not long before the press have found a nickname for the case: ‘Hansel and Gretel‘.@21@@3@@2@@20@‘An excellent whodunnit, matched by the terrific down-at-heel atmosphere of postwar Brighton‘ - @18@The Times@19@@21@@3@@2@DI Edgar Stephens has plenty of leads to investigate. The missing girl, Annie, used to write plays and perform them with her friends. Does the clue lie in Annie‘s unfinished - and rather disturbing - last script? Or might it lie with the eccentric actor types who have assembled for the pantomime?@3@@2@Once again Edgar enlists Max‘s help in penetrating the shadowy theatrical world that seems to hold the key. But is this all just classic misdirection?@3@