The Prime Minister's Pencil (Book 4)

''The Prime Minister's Pencil'' (1933) by Cecil Waye (John Rhode/Miles Burton) as always features private investigator Christopher Perrin. Perrin investigates the disappearance of Cuthbert Solway, a politician's secretary who is later found dead, leading to a complex murder case. Miss Millicent Rushburton hires Perrin to find her father's (Sir Ethelred) missing secretary, Solway. Solway is found dead in the grounds of Oldwick Manor by Inspector Philpott. The death seems mysterious and is initially treated with dismissal by Sir Ethelred, while the cause of death is found to be an exotic parasitic disease. The plot hinges on a sensational, albeit far-fetched, method of murder. Featured are Christopher Perrin and his partner/friend David Meade, who took over from Perrin's sister, Vivienne, in a successful investigations firm. This novel is the final book in the four-part Perrins, Private Investigators series.