The murders are elaborate, the clues opaque and the mystery seemingly unsolvable, until Hawthorne steps in with customary aplomb and explains all. As a mystery, this book is immensely satisfying. But as a meta-story - an extravagant, knowing satire ...

knowing send-up of the author himself; and a homage to the Golden Age of mystery - it is pure delight.' NEW YORK TIMES Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and the writer Anthony Horowitz have been invited to a literary festival on the island of Alderney to talk about their new book. Very soon they discover that dark forces are at work. Alderney is in turmoil over a planned power line that will cut through it, desecrating a war cemetery and turning neighbour against neighbour.

And the visiting authors seem to be harbouring any number of unpleasant secrets. When the festival's wealthy sponsor is found brutally murdered, Alderney goes into lockdown and Hawthorne knows he doesn't have to look too far for suspects. There's no escape.

The killer is still on the island. And there's about to be a second death . .