Crime reporter Julian Mendoza is neither young nor good-looking, nor blue-blooded.  He smokes a filthy pipe, has a marvellous landlady from Scotland, walks with a limp, is kind to down-and-outs but unkind to policemen, is rude to society ladies; and is quite prepared to do anything to ensure his reputation as the greatest crime reporter in Fleet Street. Burglar Bill Cuffy breaks into blues singer Adele Valée’s apartment to steal her jewellery and cash, assuming she is at a night club performing. He stumbles across her dead body in the bathroom and is shocked to discover she has been brutally murdered. He flees the scene and ends up at Julian Mendoza’s home where he faces the formidable Mrs. MacDougal. Cuffy is one of several murder suspects that materialise as Mendoza sets out to uncover the truth about Adele Valée’s life and discover her murderer.