The Fourth Wall

By Barbara Paul

Sylvia Markey sits in her dressing room, holding her cat's head in her hands. Just the head – the body is nowhere to be found. This gruesome act of violence was committed just a few minutes before curtain, and Sylvia has no time to grieve. She collects herself, and gets ready to perform. She makes it halfway through the second act before her nerves get the best of her, and she vomits onstage. As the run continues, so does the sabotage, and the unknown troublemaker attacks actors, vandalizes the set, and hurls acid at one of the designers. To playwright Abigail James, the meaning is clear: Someone is trying to murder her play. The police do all they can, but it will take someone who understands theater to unravel the mystery. This is a matter of revenge – and Abigail will settle it backstage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786690463

Barbara Paul

Barbara Paul is the author of numerous science fiction and mystery novels, including Full Frontal Murder, Fare Play, and The Apostrophe Thief. 

Reviews for The Fourth Wall

[julesjones_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

[2006-11-25] Early mystery from Barbara Paul, set in a New York theatre in the present day. A modern take on the Jacobean revenge tragedy, it's harsh and a traumatic read, but one hell of a book. One of my all-time favourite mysteries, and I'm pleased to see that it's recently been brought back into print.