When the Nazis seize Austria in March 1938, Verity Browne — the New Gazette's correspondent in Vienna — is one of the first to be deported as a well-known anti-Fascist. Before she leaves she is able to arrange for a young Jew, Georg Dreiser, to escape to England, but where he expects to find safety, he finds danger and sudden death.

Lord Edward Corinth also finds death where it is least expected, in the grounds of Lord Montbatten's country house, Broadlands. There to meet his friend the Maharaja of Batiala, Edward's nephew Frank stumbles on a corpse. The police are satisfied that the man, identified as Peter Gray, a painter of some repute, died of natural cause; but his niece, Vera, persuades Edward that all is not as it seems.

Between them, Edward and Verity investigate two murders and Verity's eyes are opened to what has been obvious to all their friends, that Edward is the man she loves and that her destiny is to be his partner in life as well as in crime.