This is a cozy stand-alone novel that Agatha Christie might have enjoyed, thinking of it rather as an "extravaganza" although that is not a good description of it. We don’t know where the action is taking place, but the hothouse world of Everett Oversall is its own stage set, so what lies beyond the locked and patrolled gates is never shown. Instead we have a gothic houseful comprising possible ghosts, Oversall’s harem of young and superannuated ladies, the mysterious Madame and Shadow and of course Gloriana, Vanessa’s beloved cat. If you like "female in jeopardy" novels then this is certainly one of them, but with the neat twist that the "female" is actually a man. At the end of the book (no, I didn’t guess whodunit) there were still some outstanding questions with no answers apparent, and I was left in the dark about several matters. This notwithstanding, here is an enjoyable and fairly imaginative addition to the cozy and gothic genres.