Cajoled into auditioning for a local play by the formidable Mrs Dalrymple, Bert Hook finds that amateur dramatics are not quite as he imagined. He meets a rather surprising cast of characters: moody Michael Carey, a talented actor with a big future ahead of him; shoplifter Becky Clegg, who claims she has put her disreputable past behind her and Jack Dawes with a history of violent crime. But there is a much bigger surprise in store for Hook. When the play’s director is found with his throat slashed, Hook is responsible for uncovering the truth – and fast. Who is innocent, who is just playing a part and who is rotten to the core?
