Author: John D. MacDonald
Publisher: Fawcett k1547
Year: 1954 Print: 1 Cover Price: $.40
Condition: Near fine. Like new
Genre: Fiction/Mystery/GGA
Pages: 160
110125063E

A television star wilting under the limelight. An adman with a stiff upper lip. A rising New York artist. A desperate housewife. All are victims of a cruel puppet master—and one of them is a killer.

The head of a global cosmetics empire, Wilma Ferris became a self-made success by taking everything people had to give—and more. Mixing business with pleasure is her standard operating procedure. And she’s playing the same game when she invites eight of her closest friends—all of whom owe their livelihoods to Wilma—to a weekend party at her lake house.
 
After a late-night skinny-dipping session turns into a frantic search for the missing host, it becomes apparent that one of the guests had seen enough. Wilma’s body is pulled from the cold water, but the cause of death isn’t drowning—it’s a blow to the head. Was it a crime of passion or premeditated murder? Neither would surprise any of Wilma’s guests. Each of them has a motive—or two. In the end, all will be condemned.