The Plot

By Evelyn Piper

Jamey Vaughn is in his office, but Ethel Spock has been his secretary long enough to know that the great writer is not writing.

She finds him as he always is, nearly naked on the couch, staring at the ceiling and reflecting on the fading glory of his long career. A young man is here to see him, an admirer named Louis Daignot, come from New York for the chance to meet Vaughn. Daignot makes Ethel uneasy, but Vaughn invites him in. He couldn't know he's welcoming the devil into his home. Daignot has an uncanny understanding of Jamey's work, and his praise mesmerizes the older man. Ethel does what she can to protect her boss, but as the men's relationship becomes twisted, Daignot usurps his mentor's position. When the two writers commune, the first step is plagiarism. The next is murder.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786690135

Evelyn Piper

Merriam Modell, pen name Evelyn Piper, was born in Manhattan, New York, in 1908. She is known for writing mystery thrillers of intricate, suspenseful plotting that depict the domestic conflicts of American families. Her short stories have appeared in the The New Yorker and two of her novels, Bunny Lake Is Missing and The Nanny, were adapted into major Hollywood films.