Book excerpt: “A treat . . . Lovesey’s restraint, wit, and charming cast ensure him a place in the winner’s circle.” —Entertainment Weekly At the urging of his daughter, Bob Naylor joins the Chichester Writer’s Circle. But instead of exploring his budding talents as an amateur poet, Bob soon finds himself in the middle of something sinister. The vanity-press publisher who recently visited and critiqued the group was killed in an arson fire, and Maurice, the group’s leader, is the prime suspect. Because Bob is new to the group and not under suspicion, he is recruited to prove Maurice’s innocence, putting his own life at risk. The murderer is not done, and more people will die as Inspector Henrietta Mallin scrambles to pinpoint the killer.