The Evil Shepherd

We first meet Francis Ledsam in a cheerful, self-assured mood, still pleased by the congratulations he has just received. He lingers on the steps of the modern Courts of Justice, lighting a cigarette before he summons a cab to carry him to his club. As he waits, his thoughts drift to a whisky and soda, for his throat is dry, and to a relaxed game of bridge at his favourite table. Ledsam is a lawyer, and the book is a crime thriller by Edward Phillips Oppenheim, an English novelist known for his suspense stories.