Nadina, a dancer in Paris, receives a visit from Count Sergius Paulovitch. Both are in the service of "the Colonel", an international agent provocateur and criminal. "The Colonel" is retiring, leaving his agents high and dry. Nadina has a plan to blackmail the Colonel. Anne Beddingfeld is an orphan after the sudden death of her archaeologist father. Longing for adventure, she jumps at the chance live in London. Returning from an unsuccessful job interview, Anne is at Hyde Park Corner tube station when a man falls onto the live track, dying instantly. A doctor examines the man, pronounces him dead, and leaves. Anne picks up the note he dropped, which reads "17.1 22 Kilmorden Castle". The inquest of L B Carton brings a verdict of accidental death. Carton carried a house agent's order to view Mill House in Marlow, and the next day the newspapers report that a dead woman has been found there, strangled. The house belongs to Sir Eustace Pedler MP. A young man in a brown suit is identified as a suspect, having entered the house soon after the dead woman.

A dead body is found in a hotel's wardrobe and points towards an unfortunate case of drug-overdose. But Inspector Pointer is not convinced and treats it as a murder mystery. Is he right in his presumption? Or, is it indeed a drug-overdose case? Excerpt: "The door opened noiselessly, and four men came in. They were in plain clothes, and one carried a large box. "Evening," said the first. "I am Chief Inspector Pointer from New Scotland Yard. These are detectives Watts, Miller and Lester. What's wrong?" "I 'phoned," a tall young man answered crisply. "I am the manager of the hotel. This is Mr. Beale, an American gentleman to whom this room was let a couple of hours ago. It really belongs to a young fellow who is away for the week-end, but as there was no other room available we assigned it to this gentleman for the one night. Mr. Beale has just told me that there is something wrong about the wardrobe you see there. Kindly investigate that large knot-hole in the back for yourself, Inspector."

Rose Charteris' dead body at the bottom of a sand pit let the onlookers believe that probably she died due to a freak accident… But Chief Inspector Pointer is deeply suspicious as there are many people who will directly benefit from her murder! Excerpt: "Cockburn thought that the colonel looked vexed. An old scar on his forehead blazed a bar of crimson. A sign of anger. Yet he could hardly be annoyed with the girls for knowing where the professor was. But already the colonel had puzzled him on the courts. Generally a fine player—to-day! Cockburn eyed him as he cut a cigar unevenly, and decided that something was up. It was not Colonel Scarlett's habit to chip a Corona like that. Nor to hold it so tightly that it leaked. Nor to smoke it at a pace which would turn it into an overheated cabbage stalk."

A suspicious cask arrives in London dock which when unloading slips and cracks open to reveal gold sovereigns. While the bystanders scramble to pick up the gold, the dock inspector finds a hand of a dead woman buried underneath. To his absolute bewilderment, the next day, the cask has disappeared! Now it is up to Inspector Burnley of Scotland Yard to solve the mystery of the cask as well as the murder of the woman.

Josephine Tey's 'The Franchise Affair' is a captivating mystery novel that delves into the intricacies of societal perceptions and justice. Tey's literary style, characterized by vivid imagery and meticulous attention to detail, immerses the reader in the post-war English countryside setting. The novel's exploration of the consequences of rumor-mongering and the power dynamics between individuals and the media adds to its depth and complexity within the mystery genre landscape. Tey's masterful storytelling and clever plot twists keep readers engaged until the final revelation. 'The Franchise Affair' stands out as a classic whodunit with a thought-provoking thematic undercurrent. Josephine Tey's sharp wit and keen observation skills shine through in this literary gem, making her a renowned figure in the mystery genre. Her background as a playwright and actress undoubtedly influenced her storytelling prowess and character development in 'The Franchise Affair.' Readers seeking a captivating mystery novel that challenges social norms and perceptions will find 'The Franchise Affair' a compelling read worth exploring.

Thipps, an architect, finds a dead body wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez in the bath of his London flat. Lord Peter Wimsey—a nobleman who has recently developed an interest in criminal investigation as a hobby—resolves to investigate the matter privately. Leading the official investigation is Inspector Sugg, who suggests that the body may be that of the famous financier Sir Reuben Levy, who disappeared from his bedroom in mysterious circumstances the night before. Sir Reuben's disappearance is in the hands of Inspector Charles Parker, a friend of Wimsey's. Although the body in the bath superficially resembles that of Sir Reuben, it quickly becomes clear that it is not him, and it appears that the cases may be unconnected! So whose body is it anyway? Read on!

Gunsight Pass, or How Oil Came to the Cattle Country and Brought a New West is the tale of Dave Sanders, a young and brave cowboy from Arizona who tries to save a victim of a robbery and gets wrongly accused of a murder. After serving his sentence Dave returns to the cattle country finding that the oil boom has brought all kinds of crooks and troublemakers to the Old West. Determined to shake off his past and clear his reputation Dave stands up against outlaws to protect himself, his friends, and off course, the woman he loves.