Mr Reeder makes the acquaintance of 'Duke' Dorsey, a Chicago gangster come to England to claim his inheritance of a country estate. No sooner has he arrived, when someone tries to kill him. Reeder must discover who - and why?
Called in to investigate a robbery attempt during which someone was accidentally shot and killed by Lady Rothbard, Mr Reeder's examination of the body leads him to suspect someone is guilty of lying.
Why should anyone wish to kill Mr Reeder? After a bomb arrives in his office, a car almost runs him down, and a piece of masonry narrowly misses him while walking home, the mild-mannered detective determines to find out.
When several Peers of the Realm appear to be implicated in the murder of Hetty Malone, a popular music hall star, Sir Jason Toovey gives Mr Reeder 48 hours to prove the men innocent of their involvement with the woman.
As she is about to be announced at the palace, a young debutante is spirited away. Mr Reeder is appointed to find her - and uncovers a dastardly traffic in white slavery.
When someone attempts to kill a reformed safe-breaker, Mr Reeder must discover what lies behind the threats to the man's life. What he discovered leads him to suspect that a villain's word can't always be trusted.
