Suave investigator Christopher Perrin makes the last of his four appearances in this mystery, published in 1933 by Hodder in the UK and AL Burt in the US. After this adventure, Major Street dropped the character and the pseudonym, thereafter concentrating on his John Rhode and Miles Burton series. I speculated in my review of the earlier Waye title The Figure of Eight on the possible reasons why, of the two aliases, which began at the same time, the Burton books continued whilst these did not and initial reactions to this title offer no significant further insight. Like The Figure of Eight this contains decided thriller elements, including once again a backdrop of political intrigue, though this time the machinations are concerned with domestic rather than international politics.

The story opens with Perrin, who we are told has been recently married – though rather confusingly without any further details or even the slightest apparent change in his habits or circumstances - being asked to investigate the disappearance of Cuthbert Solway, the secretary to Sir Ethelred Rushburton, a leading light of the opposition and tipped for a cabinet position if the government falls. A critical vote is due in parliament and we are told that only the Prime Minister stands between the government and defeat and therefore a change of administration. Perrin investigates Solway’s movements only for the secretary to turn up dead some days later, apparently from natural causes. Naturally, Perrin is not satisfied and his suspicions are confirmed when the Prime Minister is killed under similar circumstances, throwing the political establishment into turmoil.

As mentioned above, this novel contains many of the well-worn thriller elements, which set it and the other Waye titles apart from Street’s Rhode and Burton series. Once again Perrin is faced with powerful adversaries, placed in great personal danger and emerges at the end triumphant. Although not groundbreaking, the pace is good and whilst the solution relies on one of those scientific solutions that seemed plausible at the time it was written but are unsatisfactory to a modern readership, this is still a good read. It is of course of immense interest to the many devotees of Street, who will wish to add these titles to their collection.

R E Faust