This long-running series was begun in 1936, as the detective himself reminds us part way through the book. In his 32nd outing, Sir John Appleby attends a charity fete masquerade, after meeting the daughter of the house sobbing in the woods because her father won't let her boyfriend come as a sheik. Sir John becomes more suspicious when he finds many sheiks and pseudo-sheiks wandering the grounds. It's all good fun, in typical Innes-ian style. ( )

Appleby is invited to a large fete. He discovers an oil sheik there, mingling with the guests and decides his host is up to something. And what's with the Druids? ( )