Bruce Attleton dazzled London`s literary scene with his first two novels - but his early promise did not bear fruit. His wife Sybilla is a glittering actress, unforgiving of Bruce`s failure, and the couple lead separate lives in their house at Regent`s Park. When Bruce is called away on a sudden trip to Paris, he vanishes completely - until his suitcase and passport are found in a sinister artist`s studio, the Belfry, in a crumbling house in Notting Hill. Inspector Macdonald must uncover Bruce`s secrets, and find out the identity of his mysterious blackmailer. This intricate mystery from a classic writer is set in a superbly evoked London of the 1930s.