After a novel is turned into a West End musical, one of its stars becomes the victim to a real-life impossible crime. Juno Pirelli is discovered cuddled inside a locked dressing room, from which nobody could have gotten out of.

Jonathan and Polly find settling down hard as events around them turn more and more bizarre. A sex scandal erupts at the launch of the new community centre. A hump backed beast is seen running around gardens. Polly keeps having a recurring nightmare and a deadly plant is growing at the Creek residence.

When a kidnapping victim disappears under the attackers' noses, Jonathan is forced into solving a mystery for a league of unpleasant gentlemen, much to Polly's displeasure.