The partners of the firm of 'Crabbe and Crabbe: Private Investigators' have unusual qualifications for detectives. Both in their twenties, Melpomene is a social anthropologist, and Alexander is a solicitor, a combination that brings fresh approaches to a sometimes jaded profession, while benefitting from effective collaboration with police colleagues in various parts of England, and, occasionally, even France and, recently, Denmark. This, their latest case, starts out with an apparently minor incident of art fraud, but then takes in illegal auction rings, smuggling, intimidation, assault, kidnapping and several murders, instigated by a mysterious mastermind from behind the scenes, until he emerges and resorts to an act of desperation. Of course, Mel and Alex, with help from the English, French and Danish police forces, ultimately prevail, bring the guilty to justice, tie up most of the loose ends, and move on to their next case.