On the London to Inverness night train, Shaw chances to meet a private investigator who is later found murdered in his sleeping compartment. Realising there may be a connection with his dying uncle, Shaw is drawn into a deadly conspiracy reaching to the highest levels of the British establishment.

Can he warn the authorities of what he has discovered before he is silenced - permanently?

This 1930s mystery thriller is an affectionate tribute to Golden Age crime fiction and adventure stories such as those featuring Richard Hannay or Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond. It is the fourth in the popular 'Reverend Shaw' series of crime novels.