A Black Orchid. An Indian Cobra. The Drawing of an Unknown Artist and the Sounds of a Flute - A Country House Murder Mystery -Perrot, weary of his nomadic lifestyle, had purchased a small estate amidst the heath on the outskirts of a picturesque village. The residents readily accepted him into Madame Elsa's illustrious circle and considered him an amusing, entertainingly loquacious new member. Perrot and his friend, Inspector Jeff, receive an invitation to a Midnight Soirée. Perrot is delighted. After all, the celebration is a welcome distraction from the imminent November gloom.With a slight delay, Achille Perrot rushes to meet the midnight invitation at Madame Elsa's house. He does not yet suspect that the orchid, the cobra... that all these things are interwoven in a sinister way. Madame Elsa captivates her guests with an exotic, breath-taking performance, whereupon an elderly gentleman suddenly collapses to his death at the hostess's feet. A mystery. When another guest dies under the same circumstances, Perrot and Inspector Jeff believe the murders are intertwined. But which dark secret they both have in common?