Van driver Bob Naylor, a jingle writer, joins the Chichester Writer's Circle fearing that he will be shunned by literary snobs. Instead, he finds himself plunged into the midst of a circle of murder victims and murder suspects-including himself. The other members, enthusiastic but not necessarily talented, come from all walks of life and write all sorts of things: fantasy, household hints, even torrid romances, but there seems to be no common thread to tie the arson victims together. Inspector Henrietta Mallin, Peter Diamond's partner from The House Sitter, is the investigator in charge of the case and with Bob's help-and despite other would-be sleuths'hindrance-she discovers the motive for the serial murders and the identifies the killer.