Three times young Archy Mitfold escaped murderous attacks. Knowing the identity of his would-be killer and anticipating further attempts, he contrived to leave behind clues that would lead Scotland Yard to his killer’s doorstep. Of course Archy thought himself clever enough to avoid actually being murdered and assumed these clues—mostly bird sketches—would never actually be needed. Archy was wrong.

Unfortunately for Inspector Dan Pardoe and Sergeant Tommy Salt, Archy’s clues were so obscure that they defied intepretation. World War II was only weeks old and it looked like Archy’s brief flirtation with the pro-Nazi Nordic Bond might be behind his murder. Anti-German feelings were at their height during this “phony war” period as Londoners blacked out their windows to German bombers that were months away from attacking. On the other hand, Archy’s death also seemed somehow connected to the disappearance of a camera-shy British philanthrophist. It will take all of Pardoe’s celebrated ingenuity to nab the killer.

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