San Robero, a delightful island in the Caribbean, just north of the Leeward islands. The island is a British Overseas Territory, with a population of around 16,000 people. There is not a great deal of industry and tourism plays a major role in the island's economy.

Selwyn Hathaway was San Robero's only private detective. It was a small agency and was kept going by a steady stream of divorce related cases, together with the occasional case of corporate theft. The agency consisted of Hathaway and his young assistant Paul Craddock. They could not afford a receptionist or any other staff, and the office was situated above a travel agents, in the Valley, San Robero's capital.