So Horrible a Place

When Patrick Gillard resigned his commission as Coordinator of Defense Studies at Camberley Army Staff College, his wife Ingrid Langley was more than a little concerned. After all, the Lieutenant-Colonel is not renowned for his patience and domesticity, and could well prove a hindrance to Ingrid's next novel if he is at home all day with nothing to do, never mind go out of his head with boredom. But out of the blue, the perfect project turns up. Patrick is recruited as technical advisor to the UK production of a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster, Blood & Anger. Based on a controversial, best-selling book about an undercover operation in Northern Ireland that went spectacularly wrong, the film stars hot young British talent Rik Harrison as a world-class assassin. However, after an indulgent spell in LA, he is less than in shape for the role. So when Harrison's stand-in is taken out of action in shocking circumstances -- killed by a long-range sniper's rifle just before the cameras start rolling -- Patrick is asked to step in for the action sequences not covered by the stunt-man. Ingrid, doing some background research on the project, is concerned to find that the author of the book died in suspicious circumstances and when the scriptwriter is also found dead, it is obviously not an unfortunate coincidence. Could a member of the film production team have a score to settle? The answer must lie in the past, in the original mission in Northern Ireland. With three men already dead, Ingrid is determined to find the killer before her husband becomes the next victim. . .