When Leslie Stearle appears in Salcott St. Mary out of nowhere (AKA the U.S.), he upends many of the well-settled relationships in this small artists’ enclave. Walt Whitmore is worried about the interest his fiancée, Liz Garrowby, is showing toward the newcomer, and so is her stepmother, Emma Garrowby. When Leslie disappears, Inspector Grant is called in to investigate. Most enjoyable are Tey’s little philosophical digressions as the investigation progresses: “At least they were quick of wit, these modern children. The cinema, he supposed. It was always the one-and-tuppenys—the regulars—who got the point while the front balcony were still groping” (136). The solution to the crime borrows from Tey’s favorite device as exemplified by ‘Brat Farrar’: the impostor. But the fun is in getting to know the quirky artist characters.