A young drifter finds more than he bargained for when he agrees to deliver a parcel to an English country house!

The Peverell Press, a two-hundred-year-old publishing firm housed in a dramatic mock-Venetian palace on the Thames, is certainly ripe for change. But the proposals of its ruthlessly ambitious managing director, Gerard Etienne, have made him dangerous enemies - a discarded mistress, a neglected and humiliated author, and rebellious colleagues.

The Duke of Denver, accused of murder, stands trial for his life in the House of Lords. His brother Lord Peter Wimsey is investigating the crime - this is a family affair. The murder took place at the duke's shooting lodge and Lord Peter's sister was engaged to marry the dead man. But why does the duke refuse to co-operate with the investigation?

They plan to have a quiet country honeymoon. Then Lord Peter Wimsey and his bride Harriet Vane find the previous owner's body in the cellar. Set in a country village seething with secrets and snobbery, this is a love story with detective interruptions and a detective story with romantic interruptions.

Presents a crime story.

A detective story that features Lord Peter Wimsey, the lead character.