by Margery Allingham
Adapted as a serial for television in six episodes by John Hopkins
Starring Denis Quilley, Michael Gough, Sheila Shand Gibbs with Bernard Horsfall as Albert Campion

Jimmy Sutane, the star of a new musical called The Buffer, has been the victim of an increasing number of practical jokes over the past few weeks, and he is beginning to feel the strain, especially as the jokes are more malicious than amusing. He has therefore called in Albert Campion, a friend of the author of The Buffer, William Faraday, to help to get to the bottom of these irritations. Sutane believes they must originate from a member of the cast, and accordingly he invites them all down to his country house one Sunday in order for Campion to meet them and pick up what clues he can. But, after yet another joke is played on him, Jimmy drives out to try to collect a piece of evidence, and returns with the startling news that he has killed Chloe Pye, a newcomer to the company who has already made her presence felt in this somewhat incongruous gathering....