Wodehouse adapted the story from a play, Come On, Jeeves, that he had written with his lifelong friend and collaborator Guy Bolton.

Set in the early 1950s, the story concerns Bill Belfry, Lord Rowcester, an English aristocrat who is in financial trouble.

Captain Biggar loves Mrs. Spottsworth but feels a man of modest means should not propose to a wealthy woman.

Captain Biggar is also looking for a bookie named Honest Patch Perkins, who wears a check suit and eyepatch and has a large moustache.

Monica arrives, with her aristocratic husband Sir Roderick "Rory" Carmoyle, who now works at a department store.

After Mrs. Spottsworth mentions her interest in the supernatural, Monica tells her that a ghost named Lady Agatha haunts the ruined chapel.

However, Captain Biggar needs the money quickly to back a horse named Ballymore at The Derby the next day, so that he will be wealthy enough to propose to Mrs. Spottsworth.

Jill, who saw Bill leaving Mrs. Spottsworth's room, ends their engagement, and tells her father Colonel Wyvern, the chief constable.

Colonel Wyvern confronts Bill, but sees the couple has reconciled, and instead investigates the stolen pendant, reported by the housemaid Ellen.

Jeeves's learning and intelligence are sometimes exaggerated for comic effect in the stories, for instance when he recites unnecessary quotations.

[5] In the story, Captain Biggar resists proposing to Mrs. Spottsworth because of his idea of a Far Eastern Code, which is based on clichéd and outdated Kipling imagery.

"[8] In addition to being published as a novel, Ring for Jeeves was printed in the Long Island Sunday Press on 4 October 1953.

[9] Under the title The Return of Jeeves, the story was published in the magazine Ladies' Home Journal in April 1954, illustrated by Haddon Sundblom, and later appeared in Pocket Books Weekly in January 1955.

A 1955 BBC Light Programme radio drama adapted from Ring for Jeeves featured Deryck Guyler as Jeeves, Ian Carmichael as Bill, Tucker McGuire as Mrs. Spottsworth, Michael Shepley as Captain Biggar, George Merritt as Sir Roderick Carmoyle, Annabel Maule as Lady Monica Carmoyle, Belle Chrystall as Jill Wyvern, Mairhi Russell as Ellen the housemaid, Brian Haines as the chief constable Colonel Smithers [sic], Geoffrey Matthews as the radio commentator, John Ruddock as a waiter, and Bryan Powley as Pomona, the Pekingese.

[12] In 2014, BBC Radio 4 aired a two-part adaptation of the novel, with Martin Jarvis as Jeeves and Jamie Bamber as Bill.

The cast also included Rufus Sewell as Rory, Joanne Whalley as Monica, Glenne Headly as Mrs. Spottsworth, Ian Ogilvy as Captain Biggar, Moira Quirk as Jill, Daisy Hydon as Ellen, Christopher Neame as Colonel Wyvern, Darren Richardson as Bulstrode, and Matthew Wolf as the commentator.