When opera buff Lewis Blake wins two million pounds on the national lottery he decides to pour money into his great passion, the local amateur operatic society, in order to make it a more professional concern. Generously, he pays for three internationally renowned stars to take lead roles in the society's forthcoming production of Carmen.Rehearsals get under way - and simultaneously the anonymous letters start, threatening the safety of the famous trio. Blake keeps silent, while subjecting the stars to a suffocating regime of care and protection - there is not only local but also national media interest in this production and he is desperate to ensure that nothing will spoil its glory.And all does go well right up until the dress rehearsal, when Carmen suddenly goes missing. Her body is later found on a bench by the canal bank, her throat slit. And it is left to the police officer assigned to the case, DI Mitchell and his team, to wonder whether they're dealing with a deranged opera lover or a killer with a more complex motive. Read Less