The Crookshaven murder

Gerard King, a celebrated writer of detective stories, has transformed an old hayloft into a secluded workshop—and a stage for an elaborate amateur murder mystery. During a weekend house party, his guests will take part in a carefully rehearsed performance complete with costumes, clues, a paper-knife, and a room arranged to plunge into darkness at the proper moment. Sylvia Hawley, cast as King’s niece, is eager to play her part, but she is more concerned by the nervous fear he can no longer conceal.

For weeks, unsettling messages have reached King, and the latest has shaken him badly enough to burn it rather than explain its meaning. As he reviews the dimly lit room and its hidden entrances, the boundaries between theatrical illusion and genuine danger begin to blur. What starts as a clever entertainment promises to test the ingenuity of a seasoned mystery writer—and the courage of everyone gathered under his roof.