- Alleyn cancels his holiday with Troy to investigate a murder connected to a stolen chalice, but he's called when a second murder occurs at uncle's estate.
- While looking into the theft of several precious artifacts, Alleyn is called to investigate a murder of Charles Rankin at a gathering that includes Agatha Troy, his girlfriend. Rankin had brought a precious dagger to the event. Complicating things further is that Troy is close to these people and resents some of Alleyn's questioning. A parallel and inter-related crime for Alleyn is to identify the art thieves.—Anonymous
- Alleyn cancels his holiday with his girlfriend, Agatha Troy, to investigate a series of art thefts, including a silver chalice taken from a convent where a monk was also found murdered.
Ms. Troy continues on to a party at the estate of her uncle, Sir Hubert. The guests decide to play a game of Murder - one player is designated the murderer. One of the guests, Charles Rankin, has brought a priceless dagger to show off. Troy overhears Rankin and Marjorie Wilde discuss their affair.
Alleyn goes to Sir Hubert's estate to discuss the murdered man, a Corporal Billings, who was stationed near uncle during the war. He denies knowing Billings, but later discusses Billings with Rankin. Hubert wants to buy the dagger, but Rankin refuses to sell it. He does say he would leave it to Hubert in his will.
The lights go out and the guests return to the living room, where they see Rankin prostrate by the fire. They think he is playing the game, but when the lights go back on they realize he has been murdered. Dr. Hoffner was singing arias in his room. Arthur Wilde was in the bath, talking to his wife and Nigel Bathgate.
Alleyn returns to the scene, annoyed to find that the body has been moved and the room cleaned. The front door is also found to have been unlocked. Mary, a maid, points out that Miss Grant was not in her room. They find a press stud in the fire, which they match to a glove belonging to Marjorie Wilde.
The doctor burns some papers in a fire outside, but he is seen by a policeman. They include plans for the hall, but before Alleyn can question him, he leaves in a taxi.
The chalice turns out to have been looted during the war before being given to the convent, and Alleyn learns from the Mother Superior that Sir Hubert was the benefactor. He had a role in the war of protecting art treasures, and admits that Billings was his driver.
A switchboard operator overhears a call asking someone to destroy a parcel. Alleyn talks to Troy and she reveals she thinks someone else overheard the conversation between Rankin and Wilde, and also that she believes the caller was Marjorie Wilde. Walters, the butler, is in league with Dr. Hoffner and admits to leaving the door unlocked.
Alleyn goes to a dealer in stolen art and finds Dr. Hoffner there. He has brought the dagger and proposes to exchange it for the chalice. Bathgate shows up, the dealer becomes suspicious, and in a struggle, Dr. Hoffner is killed.
Meanwhile, Troy retrieves a set of letters that Marjorie Wilde has saved detailing her affair with Rankin. Rankin left his entire estate to Bathgate, and Sir Hubert proposes to buy the dagger from him, but Bathgate is determined to return it to the convent.
Rosamund and Marjorie were both having affairs with Rankin.
In the denouement, Alleyn reveals that Arthur Wilde had slipped out of his bathroom, slid down the bannisters, and managed to kill Rankin and the lights and return to his bath before the clock finished striking.
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of A Man Lay Dead (1993) in Australia?
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