The murder mystery opens in the boarding house of Mrs. Jersey, where an unremarkable evening gathering conceals dark secrets and dangerous connections. Among the eclectic boarders, the enigmatic George Brendon stands out, a man whose hidden past and complicated relationship with the dead woman hint at motives far deeper than mere acquaintance. When young visitor Leonard Train arrives, he finds himself immediately entangled in the web of intrigue surrounding Brendon and the mysterious circumstances binding the residents of Amelia Square together. The discovery of Mrs. Jersey's murdered body transforms the gathering from a simple social occasion into a deadly puzzle. Each boarder becomes a suspect, each conversation potentially revealing the crucial clue that will expose the killer. As the investigation unfolds, relationships strain under the weight of suspicion, and long-buried secrets surface with murderous consequences. The yellow holly of the title serves as both a seemingly innocuous detail and a potential key to unraveling the mystery. Fans of golden age mystery will find familiar pleasures here: period atmosphere, eccentric suspects, and the slow revelation of truths that were present from the beginning. Hume, best known for The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, demonstrates his skill at constructing intricate puzzles wrapped in the trappings of early twentieth-century English life.
