When one of New York's top drama critics pans a good friend's show and its leading lady's performance, war is declared by both. The reviewer, his wife, four bratty kids, and their English sheepdog move to the country, but it does not solve the reviewer's problems.

In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's ingenious fourth literary whodunit following The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation--and only one man can prove his innocence: his newly estranged partner in solving crime, Detective Hawthorne. "I'm sorry but the answer's no." Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne...

A New York critic, Parker Ballantine, writes pointed reviews that close insufferably lousy plays. But there's a new play in town by his wife, Angela. Is it bad? Will Parker grind it up in his typewriter? If he does, he may find he's married for "bitter" and for worse!