A gigantic marble bust stood on a pedestal at the head of the staircase. 

“It’s a work of art,” said David unhappily. “One mustn’t let personal prejudice intervene…” 

“I’ve often wondered if it would topple off with a little encouragement,” said Pompfret.

“It’d be a wonderful sight to see it bounce down the stairs. It must weigh several tons…” 

When a civil servant at the newly formed Ministry of Fine Arts is found crushed beneath a monstrous marble bust after dark, it appears to be the third instance in a string of fatal accidents at the department. Already disturbed by rumours of forgeries and irregularities in the Ministry’s dealings, Minister Humphry David is soon faced with the possibility that among his colleagues is a murderer – though how the bust could have been made an instrument of death is a masterstroke of criminal devilment. Taking charge of the case, Inspector Julian Rivers of Scotland Yard enters a caustic world of fine art and civil service grievances to unveil a killer hiding in plain sight.