Possibly the most unusual mystery ever written. A murder is committed, behind closed doors, in bizarre circumstances. Three amateur detectives take the case: Lord Simon Plimsoll, Monsieur Amer Picon, and Monsignor Smith (in whom discerning readers will note likeness to some familiar literary figures). Each arrives at his own brilliant solution, startling in its originality, ironclad in its logic. Meanwhile Sergean Beef sits contemptuously in the background. "But, " says Sergean Beef, "I know who done it!"

This is one of Sgt. Beef's most interesting and perplexing cases. It involves a murder, but one in which no body can be found. Young Rogers announces to Beef and others assembled in a local pub that he has committed a murderthen takes his own life. But where is the victim? How did it happen? "I always supposed," says Beef. "a murder case started with a corpse, and then you had to find out 'oo done it. This time we know 'oo's done it, but we can't find the corpse."

First published 50 years ago, now in paperback. Regarded by critics as of Leo Bruce's most baffling mysteries. A murder is yet to be committed—that much is certain—but who will be the victim? Who will be the murderer? It's Sgt. Beef's job to discover these facts, if he can, in time to prevent the deed from being done?

Once again Lionel Townsend, Beef's Dr. Watson, faithfully records the redoubtable Sergeant's escapades. Beef has left the Braxham police and gone into business for himself. Beef gets a client: Stewart Ferrars, who has been arrested for the Sydenham Murder. Beef is hired by Stewart's brother Peter to prove Stewart is innocent of the murder of Dr. Benson, who has been found stabbed in the throat in the library of Peter's gloomy Victorian mansion, The Cypresses. An ornamental dagger with Peter's fingerprints on it has been left on a table near the dead man's armchair.

The coroner’s jury found that the boy hanged in the school gymnasium had killed himself, but Sergeant Beef disagrees. He takes a job as a temporary school caretaker, abetted by the reluctant Townsend, Beef’s biographer, whose brother is a master at the school. Beef’s methods entail endless games of darts and beer all around in the local pub, much to Townsend’s dismay of course. But when another remarkably similar murder occurs elsewhere, Beef bestirs himself to uncover the guilty.

Book by Bruce, Leo

Lionel Townsend, Beef's toffee-nosed biographer, finds himself a prime suspect when his aunt in Hastings is poisoned. At the same time, an unpopular publisher is found hanged in the Cotswolds, apparently a suicide. While the two cases seem to have nothing whatsoever in common, Sergeant Beef tramples his flatfooted way to amazing, simultaneous solutions.

At first there seemed to be no doubt who killed Cosmo Ducrow, the recluse millionaire, with a croquet mallet, but the police are reluctant to arrest the obvious suspect. To force their hand, Sergeant Beef and his tireless chronicler, Townsend are called in to solve the crime. Then Beef's unorthodox methods almost lead to a second murder.