A lively British mystery from "one of the greatest mid-20th-century practitioners of the detective novel" (Alexander McCall Smith).

One of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction's Four Queens of Crime

"Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light."—Agatha Christie

Strange things are happening in Saltey. The little village on the Essex coast is invaded by bikers and a parade of peculiar visitors, a newly released prisoner is rumored to be in the area, Mr. Lugg has bought a bungalow there, the Saltey Demon is on the loose again…and Albert Campion is looking for the disappearance of thousands of pounds of gold coinage.

This is Margery Allingham's final novel featuring her famous gentleman sleuth, overflowing with evil arch-villains and classic thuggery against the atmospheric backdrop of postwar England.

"Miss Allingham is very, very good and those who are not familiar with her have a discovery awaiting them."—Los Angeles Times

"Allingham has that rare gift in a novelist, the creation of characters so rich and so real that they stay with the reader forever."—Sara Paretsky