Rita Van Arsdale falls in love and is proposed to by the gentleman Mr. Durand during a fancy high society party. She has landed the man of her dreams, but her wedding planning with Mr. Durand is interrupted by the beautiful Mrs. Fairbrother who is wearing a stunning diamond that attracts the attention of everyone at the party. During the course of the evening, a crime is committed and Rita’s fiance becomes the prime suspect. Rita must work to clear her fiance’s name through a series of twists and turns to discover what really occurred that night. Anna Katherine Green was one of the first American novelists to write detective fiction. Her stories are known for being well plotted and legally accurate. - Summary by Jenn Broda