Like many of the works by Carr, the book features a so-called "impossible crime".

A few months after the end of World War II, Miles Hammond is invited to the first meeting of the Murder Club in five years.

When they returned, fifteen minutes later, Howard had been stabbed, and the sword-cane that did it was found in two pieces beside his body.

The only one with any motive was Fay Seton, who was believed to be able to bring a vampire to life and terrorize people.

Miles quickly becomes involved in the affair because the new librarian he just hired is Fay Seton.