At a soirée like this, anyone can be the life―or death―of the party

The British Secret Service, working to uncover a large-scale blackmail ring and catch its mysterious mastermind ‘The Spider’, find themselves at the country residence Feltham Abbey, where a fancy dress ball is in full swing.

When Sir Ralph Feltham is found dead. Tony, a bewildered young lawyer sets out to make sense of the night’s activities and the motives of the other guests. Among them is Hilary, an independently-minded socialite still in her costume of vivid silk pyjamas and accompanying teddy bear…

This classic country house mystery, first published in 1933, contrasts the splendours and frivolities of the English upper classes with the sombre over-hang of the First World War and the irresistible complications of deadly familial relationships -- with just the right amount of international intrigue thrown in.

This edition also includes the rare Anthony Gilbert short stories "Horseshoes for Luck" and "The Cockroach and the Tortoise," each first published in Detection Medley (1939).