This is the eighth book in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn mystery series. Once again it involves a theater presentation. This time it's a small town group mounting a play as a charity event. The characters are all townsfolk with varying degrees of friendship and/or animosity between them. I found this episode disappointing because of the overlong build up to the murder of an older spinster which doesn't happen until halfway through the book. The others characters include the rector and his daughter, the local squire and his son, the town doctor, a recently arrived widow(divorcee?), another older spinster, and a bratty young boy. Death is accomplished through a booby trapped piano. Both spinsters are unpleasant women who who have crushes on the rector while feeling entitled to butt into the love lives of the others. Alleyn has to deal with much misinformation from all the witnesses and suspects because of "propriety". No one wants to reveal anything to protect their own amorous activities from being found out. In the end the perpetrator turns out to be the obvious choice.
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