Tough guy private detective Preston Foster is summoned via telegram. Rich client Alan Mowbray is having trouble: Someone has shot his dog and sent him a letter warning that "The next time it will be you."
Foster gets to work quickly but Mowbray's daughter is kidnapped, his chauffeur's son is killed...and the house is full of shady suspects.
Margaret Callahan is fine as the secretary who actually sent the telegram asking for Foster's help; she and the detective naturally suspect each other's abilities before teaming up. Ralph Morgan is Mowbray's sneaky brother-in-law. John Carroll is a suspicious-looking smooth talker who is involved with the daughter. Mowbray, the rich client, is known as "the guy with a house full of guns," and entertains himself by taking indoor target practice.
Preston Foster is not bad as the rough-and-tumble investigator who wants the facts and makes no pretense at being a gentleman detective. He is assisted by Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, a bodyguard who spends his spare moments reading up on parlor tricks. (A rare moment of comic relief features Williams attempting a funny disappearing egg trick that he doesn't understand.)
The picture's tone is more that of a gangster drama than a typical parlor mystery. Overall, though, the complex plot and good performances make for a solid whodunit.
