The Riddle of the Purple Emperor

A bustling March afternoon at Charing Cross Station sets the stage for a tangled web of secrets. In the crowd, the young, nervous chauffeur of Superintendent Narkom watches for a mysterious woman, while the famed detective Hamilton Cleek—known as the “Man of Forty Faces”— lurks just beyond the clatter, ready to step into a case that will test every mask he can wear. When Lady Margaret Cheyne inherits the fabled Purple Emperor, a violet‑hued diamond with a dark history, her newfound freedom draws the attention of rivals and old grudges alike.

The elegant yet reclusive Miss Cheyne, guardian of the heirloom, keeps the pendant hidden at Cheyne Court, a riverbank house shrouded in whispers. As love triangles, jealous acquaintances, and a shadowy club of gamblers converge, Cleek’s protégé Dollops finds herself the only one who might untangle the first clues. Listeners are invited into a world of polite society turned uneasy, where each whispered promise could conceal a lethal betrayal.