The Play's the thing––until murder steals a scene. Jim Kendall doesn't have much time for the city--he prefers the quiet seclusion of his country cottage. Then he gets a disturbing letter from his ward Gloria. And before long he finds himself plunged in the brittle world of the London stage. A world of vice, cynicism--and blackmail. First published under the pen-name of Norman Deane by Hurst and Blackett Ltd 1946.
John Creasey (September 17, 1908 - June 9, 1973) was born in Southfields, Surrey, England and died in New Hall, Bodenham, Salisbury Wiltshire, England. He was the seventh of nine children in a working class home. He became an English author of crime thrillers, published in excess of 600 books under 20+ different pseudonyms. He invented many famous characters who would appear in a whole series of novels. Probably the most famous of these is Gideon of Scotland Yard, the basis for the television program Gideon's Way but others include Department Z, Dr. Palfrey, The Toff, Inspector Roger West, and The Baron (which was also made into a television series). In 1962, Creasey won an Edgar Award for Best Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Gideon's Fire, written under the pen name J. J. Marric. And in 1969 he was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
Creasey was an extraordinarily prolific writer, releasing titles under his own name and under a number of pen-names; this one was originally published in 1946 under the name Norman Deane. The plot gets pretty complicated and a little silly (robbery, murder, a mysterious playscript--"indecent" in some unspecified way), but the whole thing is great fun to read. My work-addled brain drank it up greedily.