One night, Alfred Meyer, the director of the theater troupe, was almost hit by a speeding train. However, his misadventures did not end there. At a birthday party for his wife – actress Caroline Dacre – Meyer was killed by a blow from… a champagne bottle. Suspicion falls on all the friends and acquaintances of the deceased. The story takes place in New Zealand, where Inspector Alleyn, a brilliant intellectual and art expert, has come on vacation with the touring troupe. He is characterized by distrust and skepticism; beneath his outward calmness, he hides his emotions and feelings. At first, almost none of the actors suspects his profession. But after the incident, the inspector has to reveal his identity to his New Zealand colleagues. Alleyn begins the investigation and gets acquainted with the theater actors – bright and highly controversial people, who never take off their masks.
