Poke Tohola, an Indian, meets Chuck and his girlfriend Meg in Florida. Poke finds that they all have a common urge to get rich quick. The Indian has some money and a gun. And a PLAN.
His plan - Fear is the key that unlocks the wallets and handbags of the rich.
Poke first stole a Sniper Rifle from a major gunsmith and the theft is reported to the Police. Joe Beigler and Chief of Police Frank Terrell thought that the situation is not to be taken lightly because it was ’killer gun’. Detective 1st Grade Tom Lepski thought that it must be some punk kid who was tempted when he saw it on the display and he did not take it that much seriously. After discussing the matter, Lepski still remained unconvinced. But not for long.
Paradise City was the playground for America’s Millionaires. And Poke started to finish them off, one by one. He left a note on his victims that read ’’The Executioner’’.
The City was in an uproar. The Police was almost clueless. They had no idea what the motive behind the killings might be and they were under severe pressure from the press because all the people assassinated were darn rich and they were all very well guarded. No one was safe anymore.
The Millionaires suffered from trepidation and felt very insecure. And then they started receiving letters from The Executioner, demanding $5oo or they’ll have the same fate as the people executed. The letter also stated that if they want to stay alive, they better not notify the police and pay up.
The book is simply un-put-downable. The sheer intelligence of James Hadley Chase is obvious from the very first page and the book has enough to keep you awake the whole night.