Berserk

Being the ringmaster and having her name attached to The Great Rivers Circus, which is currently traveling through Britain, ostensibly belongs to Monica Rivers although she's only co-owner, having sold part-interest after her husband's death 6 years early; he had been one of the performers. She would buy out her business partner (and occasional bedmate) Albert Dorando, the circus' business manager, if she had the funds; only they two know that he is part-owner. The circus is already having a bad season when Monica sees the onstage death of one of her marquee performer as an opportunity: the public's morbid curiosity might just increase their future box-office receipts. (She doesn't see the death as tragic; she has the cold-hearted view that nobody is indispensable.) She is quickly able to replace the deceased's act by that of Frank Hawkins, an unknown quantity who has shown up out of nowhere. On the surface, his act ends up being truly death-defying. When another death occurs at the circus, this one obvious murder, speculation abounds that the first death was also murder. This second death not only starts to panic the other performers, many who believe Monica the killer as she has the most to gain and has shown little grief, but Scotland Yard investigates, assigning Superintendent Brooks to stay with the circus until the murders are solved. Beyond Frank's aggressive behavior since his arrival both in wanting a piece of the circus himself and wanting to be Monica's sole romantic interest, the situation becomes more complicated with the unexpected return of Monica's daughter Angela Rivers from finishing school. Will Monica demonstrate her maternal instincts compared to her cutthroat instincts for the circus business?