It appears to be yet another torching by all-night joyriders, but firefighters breaking open a burnt-out wreck in Buckinghamshire woodland discover the charred corpse of a young woman in the boot. Identifying the owner of the luxury car is easier than putting a name to the murder victim. Clues lead Superintendent Mike Yeadings' CID team to a television company filming at studios in Maidenhead, where only days before they were called to the horrifying death of the woman director's once high-profile husband. They find far more sinister action than filming. Behind the production of a comedy series All Fired Up, covert jealousy, greed, spite and lust are at work among the lively and intricately related actors, production and technical staff vying for career enhancement. During the suspension of production, panic takes over as police interest reveals further serious crime. Action spreads to involve the Met with a hair-raising final act in which the crazed killer is unmasked.