The Case of the Gilded Fly

In the autumn of 1940, as war casts its shadow, Oxford’s Full Term commences with an unexpected theatrical flourish. Renowned experimental playwright Robert Warner brings his latest work, 'Metromania,' to an Oxford repertory theater for its premiere. His cast, however, is a tumultuous assembly, dominated by the captivating yet notoriously manipulative actress Yseut Haskell. Her talent for stirring up drama off-stage rivals her stage presence, as she weaves a complex web of rivalries, infatuations, and jealousies among the troupe. The intricate dance of desire and deceit culminates in tragedy when Yseut is discovered shot dead in the college room of a young man utterly infatuated with her. With nearly every actor possessing a motive and few credible alibis, the local police are baffled, leaning towards a verdict of suicide. Yet, the keen intellect of Gervase Fen, an eccentric Oxford don and literature professor with a penchant for puzzles, senses a deeper, more sinister plot. Fen, relishing the challenge, embarks on his debut investigation, determined to unmask the true culprit in this academic-theatrical whodunit.