The story in one page
After years in China, John Delancy Curtis arrives in New York seeking rest but finds a corpse instead. Discovering a marriage license in the dead man's pocket, Curtis impulsively assumes the victim's identity to rescue Lady Hermione Grandison from a forced union with a predatory Count. Within one chaotic night, Curtis performs a whirlwind marriage, physically defends his bride, and navigates a lethal web of international intrigue. As the New York Detective Bureau tracks a gang of revolutionaries and a corrupt Earl, Curtis must prove he isn't the killer while securing a half-million-dollar future with a woman who was a stranger at sunset.
Who's who
- John Delancy Curtis
An engineer who enters a stranger's marriage to thwart a conspiracy.
- Lady Hermione Grandison
An English aristocrat fleeing a marriage forced by her father.
- Steingall
The Chief of the New York Detective Bureau who investigates the murder.
- Jean de Courtois
A Frenchman tied up and assaulted by rival conspirators.
- Earl of Valletort
Hermione's father who acts as a predatory company-promoter.
- Count Vassilan
A revolutionary tool seeking Hermione’s wealth for political war-chests.
What it's really about
- Identity
- Assuming a dead man's name to perform a legal rescue.
- Conspiracy
- Revolutionary factions and corrupt elites clashing over wealth.
Why it's memorable
- A minister mistaking a bloody-nosed Count for a disappointed parent.
- A detective using a railway president's car to facilitate a honeymoon.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Steingall reveals that rival Hungarian revolutionary factions and Austrian agents were responsible for the violence, clearing Curtis of suspicion and allowing the couple to begin a life together on a private rail car heading West.
For your book club
- The ethics of Curtis using a dead man's identity to secure a legal marriage.
- How the speed of early 20th-century New York life facilitates such a rapid romance.