When Ellery Queen, described by the London Times as "the logical
successor to Sherlock Holmes," is invited by his friend, a doctor, to
witness an operation, he accepts the offer in hopes of furthering his
capabilities as an amateur detective, but soon ends up testing those
same skills. The patient who is about to undergo the delicate procedure
is Abagail Doorn, the richest and most famous woman in America; the
doctor who will perform it is her protégé, one of the leading surgeons
on the East Coast. It will all take place in the main operating theater
of the vast hospital that she founded.
Relatives and friends, and even some enemies, wait with bated breath to
learn the outcome of the operation. The institution is hushed, the
audience seated, the theater ready. The surgeon calls for his
distinguished patient, and the doors swing open. A still form covered in
a white sheet is wheeled into the theater. But when the sheet is
removed, it reveals Ms. Doorn's corpse, strangled to death with a
picture wire. Who among the attendees was ruthless enough to carry out
this gruesome operation? It's up to Ellery Queen--and his most
perceptive readers--to uncover the clues and find out.