An Act of Villainy

Murder in fiction is not nearly as thrilling as murder in real life

After an entertaining evening at the theatre in London's West End, Amory Ames and her husband, Milo, encounter an old friend while strolling through the bustling streets. Gerard Holloway, former actor turned wealthy investor, invites them to attend the dress rehearsal of a new play he is directing. However, Amory is shocked to discover that Gerard has cast his mistress, Flora Bell, in the title role, given Amory's friendship with his wife, Georgina. And behind Gerard's casual invitation lies a greater cause: he wishes Amory and Milo to help discover who has been sending Flora threatening letters.

Torn between her loyalty to Georgina and the thrill of a mystery, Amory grudgingly accepts his request. But the truth of the Holloways' marriage causes old anxieties to resurface as Amory looks to her own wayward husband, whose playboy antics have often plagued the society gossip columns. The pair's enquiries soon reveal that many cast members have a reason to resent Flora, but with an assembled group so skilled in the art of deception and the scene set for murder, can Amory and Milo leave their differences at the stage door and unmask a killer before the final curtain falls?