Phyllida Bright works as a housekeeper at the estate of her friend — the celebrated writer Agatha Christie — and is herself an avid reader who loves detective stories and inventing them. And she is not the only one: in the neighboring town of Leistley there is a club of aspiring authors dreaming of making a name for themselves in the genre.
To find out who among them is truly the strongest, the club organizes a competition, and thanks to Agatha Christie's connections, respected masters are invited to serve on the jury. At stake is a contract for the publication of the winner's novel.
However, during the festive opening of the Murder Festival, a real crime takes place… Could it be that one of the writers is willing to cross the line for the sake of success?
Phyllida takes up the investigation once again.