THE CLOAK AND DAGGER CLUB

Members of a mystery writers’ club must solve the murder of one of their own.

Even though Lucy Hubbard has written a successful novel, she’s surprised to receive an invitation to a meeting of the Cloak and Dagger Club from president Horace Hazelmoor. She’s especially nervous because her former fiancé, Frank Murray, whom she hasn’t seen since she dramatically broke their engagement three years ago, is a member. The others include the Countess Andrassy, Christine Wong, former Scotland Yard inspector Graham Lockhart, and his private secretary, Jonathan Kraus, who’s writing a novel of his own. Lucy may be self-effacing, but she’s sharp enough to see that no one likes the Machiavellian Hazelmoor, who’s planning a spiteful surprise. Arriving late after meeting a Scotland Yard sergeant who’s a source, Frank is shocked to see Lucy, whom he never stopped loving, and the entire club spends an unpleasant afternoon being insulted by Hazelmoor. Although Lucy and Frank were childhood friends, they’re both having a hard time forgetting the broken engagement caused by Frank’s neglect as he became famous. When Hazelmoor is found dead in his room at the Ritz, poisoned and stabbed, Lucy and Frank become the prime suspects for Detective Inspector Naughton, who has a fraught past with Lockhart. So they reluctantly pair up to investigate and uncover dangerous secrets that anyone would kill to keep hidden.

A wonderfully tricky golden age–style mystery whose clever sleuths are faced with countless motives for murder.