The Company of Knaves: A Philip Fletcher Mystery

Philip Fletcher #5

by Simon Shaw

"Poisonously funny." - The New York Times

The Company of Knaves is a hilarious, satirical and very black novel from highly acclaimed author Simon Shaw.

Philip Fletcher, actor-murderer, is thrown into a jealous rage when he hears that his most hated rival is up for a knighthood. Fletcher desperately wants one too but can't immediately see how to go about it.

The death of a gossipy fellow actor and the subsequent threat of scandal to his family and colleagues opens up a tantalising possibility for he could always blackmail his way to a knighthood. Such a course, though, is perilous, involving undercover penetration of an S & M night-club. Is Fletcher up to the job? To what lengths will ambition take him? And is murder on the agenda - yet again?

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 1997

About the author

Simon Shaw studied at Cambridge University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He worked as an actor until the publication of his first novel, Murder Out of Tune, in 1988, since when he has concentrated mostly on writing and journalism. Killing Grace is his eigth novel. He is an assistant editor of The Week and is a regular book reviewer for The Mail on Sunday.

Reviews

[Diana Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of this author but I'll definitely be searching out more of his books. Extremely funny with a very entertaining protagonist--a self-centered narcissistic actor.