When James Beardmore receives a letter demanding £100,000 he refuses to pay—even though it is his last warning. It is his son Jack who finds him dead. Can the amazing powers of Derrick Yale, combined with the methodical patience of Inspector Parr, discover the secret of the Crimson Circle? Who is its all-powerful head and who is the stranger who lies in wait? Twice in a lifetime a ruthless criminal faces the executioner.

This book is excellent Wallace: a psychic detective, a particularly devious master criminal, brave women and sturdy men, much rushing to and fro, and a dramatic climax.