The story in one page
Anne Beddingfeld is broke, bored, and tired of small-town life in Little Hampsly. When a man falls onto the tracks at a London tube station, she investigates the scene and finds a mysterious scrap of paper. This clue pulls her onto a mail steamer headed for South Africa, where she crosses paths with a cynical baronet, an elusive colonel, and a glamorous dancer. As she navigates shipboard politics and professional threats, she attempts to outrun a shadowy figure in a brown suit. Anne ultimately unravels a complex web involving diamond smuggling, old grudges, and a series of calculated murders.
Who's who
- Anne Beddingfeld
An amateur investigator chasing a mystery across the globe.
- Sir Eustace Pedler
A wealthy baronet obsessed with his own comfort and safety.
- Colonel Race
A sardonic, seasoned traveler and professional observer.
- Nadina
A famous dancer with a complicated past and hidden agendas.
- Harry Rayburn
An adventurer with a history of diamond prospecting in jungles.
What it's really about
- Self-preservation
- People will do anything to keep their lives comfortable.
- Amateur curiosity
- Taking risks because life at home is too dull.
Why it's memorable
- A peach squashed on the floor as a protest against bad catering.
- A baby described as having a platycephalic skull via cable.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The mystery concludes with a wedding, a forgiving letter from a villain, and a new child born into the African sun.
For your book club
- Why does a self-interested baronet try to kill the protagonist?
- How does the setting shift from city grime to colonial adventure?