There is no question about it: Professor Godfrey Mitchell is dead. His body is slumped behind his desk. His upholstered chair is splattered with blood and bits of brain. Immediately below the lifeless fingers of his right hand, a gun lies on the Oriental carpet. No one knows who murdered the professor and why.

Detectives Jackson Blaustein and Dina Barrett of the Connecticut Major Crime Squad have their work cut out for them as clues seem to lead nowhere. Far from beloved, the best-selling author was estranged from his wife and son, resented for his publishing successes by his fellow...