▁list ▁compiled ▁by ▁the ▁Myst ery ▁Writ ers ▁of ▁America . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Alan ▁Grant , ▁Scotland ▁Y ard ▁Ins pect or ▁( a ▁character ▁who ▁also ▁appears ▁in ▁five ▁other ▁nov els ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁author ) ▁is ▁feeling ▁b ored ▁while ▁conf ined ▁to ▁bed ▁in ▁hospital ▁with ▁a ▁broken ▁leg . ▁Mart a ▁Hall ard , ▁an ▁actress ▁friend ▁of ▁his , ▁suggests ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁am use ▁himself ▁by ▁research ing ▁a ▁historical ▁mystery . ▁She ▁brings ▁him ▁some ▁pictures ▁of ▁historical ▁characters , ▁aware ▁of ▁Grant ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁human ▁faces . ▁He ▁becomes ▁intr igu ed ▁by ▁a ▁portrait ▁of ▁King ▁Richard ▁III . ▁He ▁pr ides ▁himself ▁on ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁read ▁a ▁person ' s ▁character ▁from ▁his ▁appearance , ▁and ▁King ▁Richard ▁seems ▁to ▁him ▁a ▁gentle , ▁kind ▁and ▁wise ▁man . ▁Why ▁is ▁everyone ▁so ▁sure ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁cruel ▁murder er ? ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁other ▁friends ▁and ▁acquaint ances , ▁Grant ▁investig ates ▁Richard ' s ▁life ▁and ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁Prin ces ▁in ▁the ▁Tower , ▁testing ▁out ▁his ▁theories ▁on ▁the ▁do ctors ▁and ▁n urs es ▁who ▁attend ▁to ▁him . ▁Grant ▁sp ends ▁weeks ▁p onder ing ▁historical ▁information ▁and ▁documents ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁Br ent ▁Car rad ine , ▁a ▁lik able ▁young ▁American ▁research er ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Museum . ▁Using ▁his ▁detect ive ' s ▁logic , ▁he ▁comes ▁to ▁the ▁conclusion ▁that ▁the ▁claim