There are two plots in this novel. One is the Atticus Pünd mystery novel written by fictional author Alan Conway; the other details publishing editor Susan Ryeland's search for the missing final chapter of the novel, as well as her investigation into the death of Conway.
Novel by "Alan Conway" In 1955, Mary Blakiston, housekeeper at Pye Hall in Saxby-on-Avon, is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Villagers suspect Mary's son Robert is the murderer. The next day, newspapers report the murder of Sir Magnus Pye. Famed detective Atticus Pünd and his assistant James Fraser travel to the Hall, where they are greeted by Detective Inspector Chubb. Investigation at the home of Sir Magnus reveals various motives for the family members to have committed the murder, along with clues typical of the genre. Pünd reveals the murderer of Sir Magnus as Robert. Robert had murdered his brother Tom and his brother's dog Bella 12 years earlier. Mary was aware of Robert's guilt and feared her remaining son would pass on his homicidal tendencies to any potential children. She wrote a letter for Sir Magnus in the event of her death by suspicious circumstances and told Robert that she did this. Mary's death was purely accidental. After reading the letter, Sir Magnus confronted Robert, who killed him and burned the letter written by his mother. After hearing Pünd's recital of the case, Inspector Chubb arrests Robert for the murder of Sir Magnus Pye. A subplot deals with Pünd's suffering from a brain tumour and his eventual suicide.
Susan Ryeland investigates Susan Ryeland, an
editor for Cloverleaf Books, is about to read
Magpie Murders, the newest novel in Alan Conway's Atticus Pünd series. Susan notices the last chapter is missing, resulting in a whodunit with no solution. Her boss Charles Clover tells her that Alan Conway is dead. He shows her a letter from Alan Conway, suggesting suicide. Susan goes to Alan's home village to look for the last chapter. She becomes convinced that someone murdered Alan and begins investigating. Through her investigation, she learns that Conway hated the mystery genre which had made him successful, preferring to write pretentious literature. After attending Alan's funeral, Susan makes a list of potential murderers of Conway. Charles offers Susan the job as head of Cloverleaf Books as he is retiring. At the same time, her boyfriend Andreas asks her to move to
Crete with him to run a hotel there. At the office of Cloverleaf Books, Susan finds the last chapter on paper. It is revealed that Charles learned Alan planned nine novels
whose first letters spelled out "an
anagram." The anagram was the name "Atticus Pünd," whose letters rearrange to "a stupid cunt," reflecting Alan's hatred of mysteries. As Alan was about to reveal this to the public, Charles killed him to prevent it and used a page from the final chapter as the fake suicide note. After confronting her boss, Susan tries to leave, but Charles knocks her out and sets the office on fire. Andreas saves Susan and the last chapter. The completed book is published by another firm, as Cloverleaf Books is ended, with Charles arrested for murder. When Susan is sufficiently recovered, she goes to Crete with Andreas to run the hotel. ==Development==