The eighth Auguste Didier mystery.

It''s 1902 and Auguste Didier finds himself reluctantly recruited for a week''s work at the Old King Cole music hall in the East End. Ostensibly there as chef of its greasy run-down eating house, Auguste has another role: to prevent a possible foul murder by being constant bodyguard to famous comedian Will Lamb.

At first Will''s fears of being the victim of someone''s murderous intentions seem unfounded. After all, he''s only had a portentous dream and he''s really rather popular. But when other more sinister omens occur, Auguste begins to sense real danger - and Will Lamb dies on stage in front of his eyes. The search is on for a killer - and it has to be someone who''s had access to the props.

Auguste''s job is made more complicated by the fact that a national treasure has also been reported missing from Windsor Castle. And there are enough tenuous threads to indicate that the crimes must somehow be linked...