It is a detective thriller in which Inspector Frederick Alleyn, a fictional character created by the author, has to investigate a crime that occurs in a theatrical performance in which he is in the audience. During the performance a bullet killed an actor. To determine who changed the bullets and was therefore the murderer is very difficult because it is shown that, in addition to the fact that all the suspects are actors and may still be acting when questioned by the agents, they may all have a motive for the murder.
It is an entertaining novel, which maintains the suspense, the psychological configuration of the characters is very successful, has humorous twists, unexpected turns and understandable language.
Ngaio Marsh (1895.1982) was a New Zealand writer of crime novels during the golden age of crime fiction in England (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers).