The first time he saw her she stole his heart. The second time . . . she was dead.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen Detective Arthur Crook first saw Stella Foster he knew she was marked for trouble. Stella was irresistible to men, a woman who loved laughter and pleasure - a woman, in fact, after Mr. Crook's heart. The next time he saw her, Stella was dead.To find her killer, London's genial detective pursues his unorthodox way through a maze of tangled and conflicting clues to solve a clever and brutal crime of passion. What was hidden under the bland exterior of Henry Greatorex, the charming, indolent, unpredictable chief of the Beckfield branch of Greatorex Brothers, the reputable London solicitors? Was he merely a philanderer - an ardent lover - a secret benefactor - a considerate employer - or a callous murderer? Arthur Crook, the unconventional lawyer specializing in things criminal, finds in Henry Greatorex one of the more unusual clients of his career.Henry Greatorex was never valued by his half-brothers, so it was little surprise that, in the family law firm, he was packed off to run an out-of-London office. It was to some surprise that the office ran pretty well under his management, but the time has come for him to sort out his love-life. He is determined to marry the lovely Barbara, but that does mean bringing his weekly liaisons with Stella Foster to an end. Stella is a popular woman though, and Henry is far from her only... paramour. For whatever reason, though, she is reluctant to let him go. And then one evening visit ends with Henry leaving her flat, with Stella lying dead on the couch. Enter Arthur Crook, "unscrupulous lawyer and unraveller of mysteries".The lady of fairly easy virtue had been found dead in her living room and had certainly received a number of visitors during the evening and one of them had certainly been Henry Greatorex - but had he done the killing?Arthur Crook on the trail of a murderer hidden in a mass of conflicting eye-witness accounts. and "Unquestionably a most intelligent author. Gifts of ingenuity style and character drawing and " ~Sunday Times