The novel introduces Lord Peter Wimsey, an aristocratic amateur detective with a keen intellect and a penchant for solving complex mysteries.

The story begins with the discovery of a body in a bathtub in a London boarding house. The body is that of a well-known financier, but it is found without any identification or apparent motive for the murder.

Lord Peter Wimsey, intrigued by the case, takes on the investigation himself. He is drawn into a web of intrigue involving the victim's associates, the enigmatic circumstances of the murder, and the underlying motives of those connected to the deceased. As Wimsey delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a series of clues and red herrings that lead him closer to the truth.