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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
A murder staged as an art class; classic treatment without graphic content
Language
Barely any
Polished 1930s English
Sexual Content
Barely any
The beginning of the Alleyn-Troy romance; handled with period decorum
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
The elaborate staging of the murder and Alleyn's romantic entanglement give the novel unusual psychological richness
What this book is about
During a painting class at an English studio, a murder is arranged with horrible ingenuity: the victim is positioned as though part of the class exercise. Alleyn is called in to investigate — and finds himself working alongside the studio's founder, painter Agatha Troy, with whom he falls irrevocably in love. The third Alleyn novel introduces Troy, Marsh's most important secondary character, and marks a significant shift in the series' emotional texture.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Introduction of Troy Alleyn
Reader Verification
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