| Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers are sent off to Scotland to investigate the murder of playwright Joy Sinclair at a manor house where a theater company has assembled for a reading of a new play. Major suspects include the producer, a nobleman who may be trying to protect his family from an old scandal that Sinclair may be trying to reveal in a rewrite of the play they are reading, and the director, an alcoholic who hopes to use the play for a comeback.
Matters become more complicated when Lynley discovers that the director is having an affair with Lady Helen Clark, the womanwho Lynley loves. She has come as his guest to Scotland and it seems as though the only access to the locked bedroom in which Sinclair was killed was through Lady Helen's bedroom. Lynley is convinced that the director is the killer; Havers is certain that it is the producer. In the end the killer is caught through a ruse. Sinclair's sister pretends that she is going to go to the playwright's apartment to read through some old diaries that may well reveal the killer's identity. The police wait in the apartment for the killer to come and try to stop her. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - depressing/sad How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Murder of certain profession? Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Misc setting - fancy mansion Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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