The White Lie

A missing motor-cycle and an unexplained delay on a Norfolk road trouble Lieutenant Noel Barclay after the death of his former shipmate, Dick Harborne. At Mundesley-on-Sea, Barclay compares memories and suspicions with the landowner Francis Goring. Harborne's prosperous life abroad, uncertain occupation and meeting with a dark-haired visitor offer clues that resist an easy explanation. Barclay believes the crime was carefully planned and sets out to learn more about the friend whose private life puzzled him.

William Le Queux's novel broadens from a coastal investigation to confidential affairs of state. Jean attends the ailing Earl of Bracondale, the Foreign Secretary, while Darnborough brings him intelligence about a diplomatic conspiracy involving Berlin and Vienna. Published in 1915, the story combines personal secrets with international intrigue. It offers readers a mystery built around disputed motives, close observation and the distance between public standing and hidden connections.