Part of Hercule Poirot, book 0.22
First published 1999
Philip Ridgeway sits across from Hercule Poirot at the Cheshire Cheese, his banking career in ruins. The young banker carried one million dollars in Liberty Bonds across the Atlantic to New York, extending his uncle's bank credit line. Now the bonds have disappeared and suspicion falls squarely on him. His desperate fiancé has begged Poirot to take the case and restore Philip's reputation. Ridgeway works for the London and Scottish Bank, where his uncle Mr. Vavasour serves as joint general manager alongside Mr. Shaw. Both men trusted Philip with the crucial mission. Poirot discovers that only three people possessed keys to the locked trunk containing the bonds. The detective must sift through the limited suspects and uncover which one betrayed that trust. Philip's future hangs in the balance as Poirot races to prove his innocence before the young man's name becomes permanently linked to the theft.
Genres: 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, race-against-time
Setting: Cheshire Cheese, London, New York, Scotland
Period: 20th Century
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