"Good things of the day begin to droop and drowse,

while night's black agents to their preys do rouse"

Macbeth, William Shakespeare

Barbara Marsden cut a memorable figure in her bright yellow dress at the New Year Social and Dance in Wavering, but nobody saw what happened to her and she vanished without trace. One month later, Vera Ferris appeared at the same venue wearing the same dress. But before anyone can find out where she got it from, she too disappears...

After Anthony Bathurst discovers the bodies of the two women, he is faced with a slew of questions. Why would a yellow dress drive someone to murder? Why did the killer steal a bowl of fat from the butcher's shop on the night of each murder? And what on earth does it have to do with a dancing bear?

Black Agent was first published in 1950. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.