The theaters of Elizabethan England can be a very dangerous environment. With more than a few troupes competing for the attentions of a fickle theater-going public, rival companies regularly resort to nefarious activities to thwart a competitor’s success. Tensions occasionally erupt into violence, and in some instances, the result is murder.

So it is no surprise that Westfield's Men, the most successful troupe in London and a prime target for jealousy and resentment, are plagued by a series of suspicious events. But when one of their actors is murdered, someone has gone too far. Appalling events continue: Edmund Hoode, the company's reliable playwright, seems to have lost his touch; the sole copy of The Malevolent Comedy, the company's new play, is stolen and their leading apprentice is abducted.

It’s soon clear that Westfield's Men have an enemy who will stop at nothing. Nicholas Bracewell, the resourceful book holder, has an almighty struggle to save his beloved company from certain demise. Of course thwarting disaster is Nick’s specialty...