Publisher's Synopsis
Lord Hugo may be heir to the Fitzwarren millions. But everyone knows who rules the roost in his noble old family. His formidable mother, Lady Beatrice. It's been that way since her husband met his watery end. In a boating accident, poor thing. Now, on the eve of her seventieth birthday, Lord Hugo plans to give his mama a gift she'll never forget - a portrait of her dear, departed husband. Guests gather at the Fitzwarrens' decadent ancestral pile, waiting with bated breath for a glimpse of the painting. Detective Jack Dawes is among them, his wife Corrie on his arm. A cord is pulled. The curtain falls - and Lady B lets out a blood-curdling scream. It's not the likeness that has her spooked. It's the dagger, plunged deep in her husband's chest. Scrawled beneath, in blood-red paint, there's a single word. Killer. Is it a spiteful prank - or something more?
