This might be considered in some sense a sequel to P.G. Wodehouse‘s book Money for Nothing, which I read and reviewed quite a long time ago now, featuring as it does the same slick pair of American grifters, the husband and wife team of Soapy and Dolly Molloy. In this book they’ve come to England and are presently staying at stately Shipley Hall, once the seat of the Uffenhams but now the site of Mrs. Clarissa Cork’s utopian community, where they are enticing Mrs. Cork into buying some phoney oil shares. All is well at Shipley Hall…except for the strange behavior of the butler, Cakebread, who has been found rooting around in an astonishing variety of rooms. Little do they know that Cakebread is really Lord Uffenham, an absent-minded peer who having put the family fortune into diamonds and hidden them for safety was later unable to find them again. Having none of the ready at hand, all having gone for the diamonds, he was unable to keep up the old place and was forced to rent it out. Meanwhile, of course, he’s looking for the diamonds. And looking for him is one private detective hired by Mrs. Cork to protect her guests’ valuables, a gent named J. Sheringham Adair. Except, of course, Adair isn’t Adair; he’s a young barrister and author of thrillers who took Adair’s place due to an unfortunate incident with some rock cakes and the timely appearance of Lord Uffenham’s beautiful niece.

And that’s just the opening chapters.

In short, it’s classic Wodehouse and well worth your time.