In the secluded House of Writers on the coast of Northumberland, a course for beginner authors is being held: “Literary Autopsy: How to Write a Short Detective Story.” For an entire week, participants will hone their skills and craft an impeccable murder scenario. Unsurprisingly, one evening they find the body of one of the instructors on the balcony, his face frozen in an expression of terror.
Almost everyone in the house had a reason to wish Tony Ferdinand dead, but only Joanna Tobin was seen near the murdered man with a knife in her hand. By a lucky twist of fate, she is the inspector Vera Stenhope’s close neighbor and friend, and Vera hasn’t had to untangle complicated cases for quite some time. Soon it becomes clear that the woman has been framed by the real criminal. But how do you identify the murderer among those who make a living by inventing perfect crimes?