Frank Cairnes, a popular detective writer, embarks on a real-life crime of his own. He is determined to hunt down the runaway motorist who killed his small son, Martin.

As the plot thickens, Cairnes becomes the prime suspect when his intended victim is found dead. Nigel Strangeways, a private detective, is called in to unravel this fiendishly plotted mystery and discover what really happened.

This novel is a part of the Nigel Strangeways series and offers a perfect introduction to one of the most charming and erudite detectives in Golden Age crime fiction.