Towards the end of the war as the Germans are in their final retreat in
November 1918, a British raiding party stumbles across a strange and
eerie scene in a ruined chateau, under fire. Following the strains of a
familiar tune, and understandably perplexed as to who would be playing
the piano in the midst of shellfire, they discover a German officer
lying dead at the keys, next to a beautiful woman in full evening dress,
also deceased. But the officer is the spitting image of G B Bretherton,
a British officer missing in action....
So follows a tale of mystery and identity, first published in 1930,
which is not only an authentic account of conditions at the Front, but
also a remarkable thriller, with a highly unusual plot, which won
Bretherton comparisons to John Buchan and the best of the espionage
writers.
John Squire, the influential editor of the London Mercury said 'of the
English war-books, undoubtedly the best is Bretherton.' The Morning Post
thought it 'one of the best of the English war novels. I do not expect
anything much better.' The Sunday Times pinpointed its dual attraction:
it was both 'a mystery as exciting as a good detective story and an
extraordinarily vivid account of trench-warfare'.