Alistair Cameron comes from Scotland to Canada when his niece is orphaned. When a magician is killed, Cameron solves the case. He is rewarded by a commission as the first provisional detective in the country, and he is persuaded to stay.
Ontario provincial detective Alistair Cameron investigates the kidnapping of a wealthy man's daughter, but uncovers diamonds, an unexpected villain, a band of pigeons, and a bloodhound.
How many times can a convicted murderer escape the gallows? When the hangman doesn't come, his assistant becomes a hostage in a prison break. Hanged bodies start turning up, and the hunt intensifies.