Witness the appalling murder of Ernest Fletcher; found in his study, his head severely battered. The motive for this dreadful crime seems utterly obscure, for Fletcher was universally liked. It is the exceptional Superintendent Hannasyde who uncovers the complex situation of Fletcher's financial and human affairs, pointing to a number of suspects. When a second murder is committed, the plot thickens as Hannasyde discovers some common factors that give a grotesque twist to a very unusual case.