An Act of Foul Play

Lady Emily Hardcastle is celebrating her birthday by seeing a play at the Dukes Theatre in Bristol with her maid and confidante, Flo. During the interval, one of the cast members is brutally murdered, and Inspector Sunderland asks Lady H to keep a watchful eye on the suspects. Lady H and Flo must navigate through a web of lies and rivalries to uncover the truth in this locked-room mystery.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 29 November 2022
Publisher: Amazon Publishing

Lady Emily Hardcastle is celebrating her birthday by seeing a play at the Dukes Theatre in Bristol with her maid and confidante, the inimitable Flo. Act One is a triumph. Then Act Two opens with a body on stage—a real one. One of the cast has been brutally murdered during the interval.

When other matters get in the way of Inspector Sunderland overseeing the case himself, he asks the ever-resourceful Lady H to keep a watchful eye on the suspects—and his police colleagues. Rustling up some cunning disguises of their own, she and Flo are soon in deep cover among the cast and crew, pulling back the curtain on some shocking secrets and rivalries.

The problem is, everyone seems to have a motive, and everyone seems to have an alibi. In this locked-room mystery in which nothing is as it seems, the amateur sleuths need to put on the performances of their lives if they're to stand a chance of shining a spotlight on the truth.

Lady Emily Hardcastle and her maid, Flo, are attending a play at the Dukes Theatre in Bristol on November 19, 1911. Act One is a triumph, but Act Two opens with a real body on stage—one of the cast has been brutally murdered during the interval. Inspector Sunderland is unable to oversee the case himself, so he asks Lady H to keep a watchful eye on the suspects and her police colleagues.

Lady H and Flo create cunning disguises to infiltrate the cast and crew, hoping to uncover the truth behind the murder. As they investigate, they discover that everyone seems to have a motive and an alibi, making it difficult to determine who is responsible for the crime.

One of the suspects is the play's director, Mr. Mortimer, who is known for his temper and his jealousy of the cast members. Another is the stage manager, Miss Roberts, who has a history of quarrels with the cast and is believed to have had a financial motive for the murder.

As Lady H and Flo continue their investigation, they encounter a series of strange events that suggest there may be more to the murder than meets the eye. They discover that the victim had a secret life that was unknown to the rest of the cast and crew, and that there were tensions and rivalries among the actors and crew.

Lady H and Flo must use all of their sleuthing skills to piece together the clues and solve the mystery before it's too late. They must navigate through a web of lies and deceit, and confront the suspects with their findings.

In the end, Lady H and Flo discover the truth behind the murder and bring the culprit to justice. The play is a success, and Lady H is hailed as a hero for her cleverness and determination.

This thrilling mystery is a testament to the power of amateur sleuthing and the importance of never giving up in the face of adversity. Lady H and Flo are two of the most memorable characters in detective fiction, and their story is one that will continue to captivate readers for generations to come.

Weight: 270g
Dimension: 129 x 199 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781542031486