Cirrus@Austlit

'Hodgkiss doesn't miss a trick. Three new adventures of that cranky, obnoxious, insufferable but remarkably observant and astute senior citizen.

'A politician who is about to be 'outed' by the media is persuaded to disappear before he can bring disgrace on his Party. To achieve this a corrupt policeman invents a novel method of identifying a murder victim in the place of the disappeared politician. It was a method that could have worked but for Hodgkiss' intervention.

'A bungling burglar drops a stolen ring in the street after performing a theft-to-order for a friend ... stealing jewellery for an insurance fraud. Unfortunately for him the drama takes place in full view of Pat Strong's town house. So when Pat involves Hodgkiss he decides to take a hand. An advertisement in the local paper is all that's needed to bring the incident to a surprising end.

'Hodgkiss is indisposed when Donald is confronted with another locked room murder puzzle. So Esme accepts the challenge. She visits the crime scene, photographs the suspicious elements, consults her father and they demonstrate to Donald how the murder was done.' (Publication summary)