Where there"s smoke . . . . . . there"s usually an Insurance Agent hurrying to the scene to assess the damage. When Oliver Branwell is sent to investigate a fire at Lowis Manor he finds that things are not all they seem at first glance - or second. In order to protect the woman he loves, Oliver is forced to side-step the rules. And as the suspense mounts, he discovers he has quite a few enemies - some of them intent on fanning the flames . . . "Exceptionally readable." Scotsman "Winston Graham is one of the best half dozen novelists in this country." Books and Bookmen "Each chapter is more tense than its predecessor . . . the writing is highly polished, and distinguished by a rare suavity." Daily Mail