Recovering from a bout of jaundice, History master Carolus Deene is sent by his headmaster to sleepy Buddington, “famous for its population of rich and aged invalids” and the fact that “[t]here, alone in all England, the bath-chair survives as more than a relic”. There it is hoped that Deene will refrain from “jeopardizing the fair name of the Queen’s School by embroiling [him]self in detective work of a nature likely to result in unfortunate publicity”. Alas, immediately prior to his arrival, two elderly women are found strangled to death on the same night, the arrangement of their bodies suggesting some link. And Deene’s reputation precedes him to the point that he finds himself investigating almost against his will.