December, 1917. Ada Hobbes has cleaned for Dr Tindall for many years, and on this frosty morning she arrives at 9am to begin the day there, while he is at work. Since she knows that the place is empty, she lets herself in and goes to the kitchen to collect the various things that she needs. But it turns out the house is not empty after all. The blood-covered George Tindall is sprawled across the floor. As soon as Harvey Marmion and Joe Keedy arrive at Scotland Yard, they are sent off to investigate the murder. The scene is horrific, and even a seasoned detective like Marmion turns away in disgust. Someone enjoyed killing Tindall, without a doubt.

Their investigation takes them out of London, and on the trail of three different women as it emerges that Dr Tindall was not the respectable local GP after all, but a bigamist whose third wife had some very interesting connections in the crime fraternity.