Rayne’s intricate triple-decker thriller begins in 1908 with the sprawling Fitzglen clan, whose members are equally adept at theatrical production and sublime thievery. Colorful old Great Uncle Montague has recently died, and a family meeting focuses on both funeral arrangements and future felonious plans. Together, these drive a search of Montague’s stately but run-down home in Notting Hill, where his heirs find the manuscript of an unproduced play written by renowned Irish dramatist Phelan Rafferty. Could Montague’s apparent relationship with the late playwright be leveraged for a major financial score? A snag in the plan comes in the person of Rafferty’s daughter, Ethne, who likes to avoid the limelight. The plot literally thickens with the discovery that the play has a missing or “hidden scene.” When news of the play gets out, Ethne is besieged with offers to produce. Complementing and fueling this jaunty plot are two others with roots in different centuries. Back in the 1700s, Seamus Rafferty, Phelan’s ancestor and something of a literary detective, discovers letters from yet two centuries earlier that are the source of the play in question: a darker tale of forbidden love, murder, and a desperate coverup. Rayne’s large, engaging cast of charismatic charlatans seems poised to reach beyond this second installment in the Theatre of Thieves series for still more suspenseful adventures.