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Scarhaven. A beautiful English town by the ocean, or a harbor for murder and mystery? When a famous actor goes missing, the search leads playwright Richard Copplestone to the seaside town of Scarhaven. Every clue seems to raise more questions, and Copplestone uncovers layer after layer of dark secrets, many of them involving the attractive Audrey Greyle and her family. But the intrigue goes far deeper than anyone in Scarhaven suspects. If Copplestone does not discover the truth soon, he risks endangering the lives of the friends he has made in Scarhaven -- including Audrey's. - Back cover.

The Old Man (Bill Owen) sits in a cheap restaurant frequented by journalists and plays with a bit of string, which he ties into elaborate knots as he talks. Addressing himself to Polly Burton, a young newspaperwoman with whom he has struck up a slight acquaintance, he focuses upon crimes mentioned in the newspapers. He summarizes the circumstances, describes the personalities, and then sneeringly provides the correct solution which has evaded the police.

In the grand tradition of the great sleuths brought to life by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle comes another master. John Thorndyke is cerebral, meticulous, British, and underestimated. When Thorndyke's assistant, Dr. Jervis, gets a mysterious summons to ride to an undisclosed location in a sealed-off carriage, there are signs of a dangerous plot aloof. Patiently, logically, using all his prowess for jurisprudence, Thorndyke maneuvers his way through a labyrinth of clues: broken glass, an upside down picture, a veiled woman, a box of candles. Others have declared the case "impossible," and Jervis, too, has his doubts. Will the mystery at Number 31 prove in the end to be even Thorndyke proof? - Back cover.