Act of Darkness

Another wonderfully funny, satirical and blackly comedic novel from the highly acclaimed Simon Shaw, whose Philip Fletcher series is fast becoming addictive.Philip Fletcher, somewhat exhausted and not yet fully recovered from his latest bout of life-threatening misdemeanours, takes a recuperative, undemanding job at the Chichester Festival for the summer season.

What could be more pleasant (he reasons) than to idle away a relaxing few months in the countryside at the scene of some of his greatest triumphs?

Unfortunately, his peace of mind is seriously imperilled by the discovery that his most hated rival, the unspeakably loathsome and (in Philip's view) utterly untalented Richard Jones, is also appearing at the same time in the Chichester studio theatre. And when it becomes apparent that both of them are eyeing up the same girl, serious ructions are sure to follow.But there's more at stake than amorous pride.

An undercurrent of sinister goings-on disturbs Philip's rural idyll, and when the object of his attentions becomes the quarry of an obsessive stalker, there's once again a premium on his dubious criminal skills. And in the ominous quiet of the Sussex countryside, the hunter soon becomes the hunted...