In my criminal work, everything that wears skirts is a lady, until the law proves her otherwise,
declares Jack Knox, attorney at law and narrator of this sprightly mystery. Jack's cautiously chivalrous observation is prompted by the beauty and distress of his newest client, Margery Flemming. It seems that Margery's father, a crooked politician, has been missing for over a week. Unwilling to involve the police in her father's corrupt activities, the comely young woman has selected a random lawyer for consultation--a counselor who falls in love with her at first sight and determines to prove his worth. Jack's pursuit of the vanished politician leads to an investigation of a notorious social club known as the White Cat. While Jack bumbles his way along a trail of clues (he's comically clumsy as well as inexperienced at locating missing persons), Margery takes refuge with her elderly aunts, one of whom suddenly disappears, leaving behind only a bloody handprint. Can Jack locate Margery's missing relatives and win her affections from her increasingly suspicious-looking fiance? Mary Roberts Rinehart, "the American Agatha Christie," published this entertaining romp in 1910. Loaded with period charm, the briskly paced mystery combines political thrills, humor, and romance.
