Shoot the Scene

In this classic mystery from the Grand Master Edgar Award–winning author, a screenwriter is caught between his leading lady's romantic schemes and murder.

Casey Blake is the only modest man in Hollywood, which is lucky, because an ego is something screenwriters can’t afford. Blake makes his living churning out B movies for Joe Maddox, an actor turned producer who somehow got the strange idea that a well-written script is something worth paying for. Blake’s latest is Ill Wind, a taut thriller that could bring in an Oscar—if Maddox can keep his leading lady from burning down the set.

Madeleine D’Arcy has a bad habit of sleeping with her male costars. When she can’t bed them, she either throws a tantrum or turns her toxic affection toward a member of the crew. This time, her target is Blake, and she chases him with a deadly abandon that could put the film over budget—and land the screenwriter in the morgue.

Praise for Ellery Queen:

“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.” —Otto Penzler, editor of The Best American Mystery Stories

“A new Ellery Queen book has always been something to look forward to for many years now.” —Agatha Christie

“Ellery Queen is the American detective story.” —Anthony Boucher, author of Nine Times Nine