You can’t keep Strangeways out of mischief...On a fine August day in Kensington Garden, Bert Hale is anxious to test out his toy boat, a police informant is running for his life, and Nigel Strangeways is out for a stroll. By the Round Pond, blood seeps into the water, a young boy flees with a note, and a private investigator is left bewildered.Meanwhile, Scotland Yard is on high alert. A Soviet delegation is on its way to London and officers are working round the clock to prevent a high-profile assassination. But their staff is running thin as an untimely crime wave washes over London. As the police attempt to place the incident in the park amidst the rash of crimes, it soon becomes clear that Bert holds the only clue to solving an international conspiracy. Can Strangeways track down Bert before it’s too late?