Every morning in the venerable Halkett-Hughes family begins with bunting. But once in this oatmeal instead of butter or milk added... poison. What started here! And the family, as it turns out, is not so respectable. And the victim is not as respectable as it seems at first glance. And guests' closets are bursting with skeletons. Murder? Anonymous letters? Assassination attempts? Magic? Breaking a promise to marry? And this, it seems, is not all... Inspector Barrett and Miss Mary Wright are taking up the investigation!