Murdoch and Crabtree locate brat Veronica Bowden, who was abducted from her wealthy home, in a hotel room, with the first of a series of talking dolls with recorded messages, found at various crime sites, constituting an elaborate vindictive challenge for the star detective. He analyzes background sounds, identifies the toy supplier and ends up recruiting Alexander Graham Bell to build a perfect counter-noise filter, hasty as the ex-con mastermind let himself be taken, announcing Julia is dying.
—KGF Vissers