An Unnecessary Murder brings Simon Hall’s tv detective books to the stage for the first time.  The play opens with maverick television reporter Dan Groves paying a prostitute to secure an interview, and sees him punished by being appointed the crime correspondent, a job he finds intensely uncomfortable.

Dan needs to get up to speed on police work, and fast.  His solution is to shadow some detectives on a major inquiry.  He meets the frosty and sarcastic Chief Inspector Adam Breen and his alluring deputy, Sergeant Claire Reynolds, as they’re pitched into trying to solve the murder of a notorious businessman.

There’s no shortage of suspects, as the victim, Andrew Brooks, had countless enemies.  But the crime is baffling, as Brooks had cancer and would have died naturally in a few weeks – so why should anyone want to murder him?

And come to that, why is the irascible Adam so desperate to crack the case before the coming Christmas, and what of Dan’s moves to get closer to Claire?

The trio meet a range of curious and colourful suspects, but find the murder was so well planned it may never be solved. That is, unless Dan’s novel – or perhaps simply desperate – idea how to catch the killer could actually work…

 The play is a charitable production, with all money raised going to Hospiscare