Loitering with Intent

"How wonderful to be an artist and a woman in the twentieth century," Fleur Talbot rejoices. Loitering about London, circa 1949, with intent to gather material for her writing, Fleur finds a job "on the grubby edge of the literary world," as secretary to the odd Autobiographical Association. Are they mad egomaniacs, hilariously writing their memoirs in advance—or poor fools ensnared by a blackmailer? Rich material, in any case.

But when its pompous director, Sir Quentin, steals the manu…