Rhoda Comfrey’s death seemed unremarkable, the real mystery was her life.

A wallet found in Comfrey’s handbag leads Inspector Wexford to Mr. Grenville West, a writer whose plots revel in the blood, thunder, and passion of dramas of old; whose current whereabouts are unclear; and whose curious secretary – the plain Polly Flinders – provides the Inspector with more questions than answers. And when a second Grenville West comes to light, Wexford faces a dizzying array of possible scenarios – and suspects – behind the Comfrey murder.