Sherlock Holmes has returned to St Paul, Minnesota to attend the wedding of Petey Smith, whom he had befriended ten years earlier. Petey is a cub reporter about to marry the daughter of one of the city's most powerful men, Jacob V Brower. There is a fire in Brower's building; his office is ransacked and the body of an unidentified man is found there bludgeoned to death. Who is the man? Why was he killed? The police consider Brower a person of interest. Holmes undertakes to solve the mystery in his usual observant and analytical way.

This is a very short novel; it could almost be considered a long short story. The mystery is well constructed with interesting characters. Many historical characters are mentioned and are made true to life. The history of the Twin Cities (St Paul and Minneapolis) and the towns further west is discussed in detail. A good deal of historical fact about the beer industry and about the exploration for the sources of the many rivers in the region is related. In fact, there is as much, if not more, historical information as there is story. This is an uncomplicated story with much historical detail and a swift solution to the crime, thanks to Sherlock Holmes.

Quick reading in an hour.