Detective Chief Inspector Wilfred Dover is the most idle and avaricious hero in all of crime fiction. Why should he even be bothered to solve the case?

This time, Scotland Yard sends Detective Chief Inspector Dover and his woeful assistant MacGregor off on the Stately Home circuit to look into murder.

Since Lord Crouch, master of Beltour, can hardly make ends meet despite the hordes of tourists visiting the manor, his hospitality is meagre - though his vegetarian sister, Lady Priscilla, would love to cook for Dover. And the victim couldn't be a drearier sort: the wettest thing since nappies, according to Dover.

In short, the inspector can't wait to be quit of the whole thing, and chief suspects begin to pop up everywhere.