“So great was the force of the blow, it would have been impossible for the victim to have lived more than a few seconds.”

The stately homes of England are under threat from the seemingly untouchable jewel-thief ‘Creeping Jenny’. Half a dozen very particular robberies have taken place in as many weeks. Each time, a single valuable has been stolen from the victim while more valuable items were left untouched, despite being in the same location. Each time, a calling card is left in the room: “With Creeping Jenny’s compliments. She takes but one."

After the latest burglary, Inspector Baddeley suspects the country-house home of Henry Mordaunt might be the next target. Mordaunt is hosting a party to celebrate the engagement of his daughter, when her fiancé intends to hand over a priceless gem as a gift. But murder unexpectedly strikes, and Mordaunt relies on Baddeley to unmask the culprit. Can he cope without the help of super-sleuth Anthony Bathurst, and his redoubtable sidekick Peter Daventry?

The Creeping Jenny Mystery was originally published in 1929.