In the hall he found the body of his maidservant, Helen Dunn, aged about fifty, lying on the floor near the telephone. She had bled profusely from a wound in the head and her body was cold.

Richardson's second case begins with a murder and robbery at a quiet house in Laburnum Road, and goes on to include an escaped parrot and a seemingly perfect crime which threatened a scandal to shock all England.

Follow with Detective-Sergeant Richardson the fantastic story of an antiquarian's nephew, a pseudo policeman, and a stolen car... search with him for a man wanted for murder... another who fainted at a political meeting... the Treasury note which, because of the name written on it, was a warrant of death. Packed with clues, excitement and humour, this mystery will be certain to thrill and satisfy even the most ardent devotee of detective fiction.

"Sir Basil Thomson's tales are always good reading, and he has the knack of being accurate about Scotland Yard. His book is full of agreeable people, and his case is neatly put together." - Dorothy L. Sayers, Sunday Times
"Few authors can claim such an intimate knowledge of Scotland Yard and criminals as Sir Basil Thomson, one-time Assistant Commissioner at the Yard. He provides subtle intrigue, clever deduction, and bright dialogue, and the whole combines to make easily the best mystery yarn that has come my way in recent weeks. No words are wasted in the fast-moving plot... This book must not be missed." - Referee