Originally published in Great Britain in 1974 by Victor Gollancz. This specific Dodd, Mead and Company edition was released in the United States in 1975. This novel introduces Charles Honeybath, a polite portrait painter who acts as a reluctant amateur detective. It is the first installment in Innes's four-book Honeybath series.

Honeybath accepts a highly unusual, lucrative commission from a mysterious client to paint an anonymous, wealthy sitter named "Mr. X," who is allegedly hiding away due to mental instability. Honeybath is driven blindfolded to a secret, remote location to complete the painting. Upon returning home, he discovers that a bank neighboring his art studio has been robbed, casting immediate suspicion upon him and pulling him into a dangerous criminal conspiracy.