Murder Over New York

On a flight to New York for the annual police convention, Chan reconnects with his old Scotland Yard friend Hugh Drake, who is now working in military intelligence. Drake believes a sabotage ring led by Paul Narvo is behind a recent bomber incident, and Chan offers his help. The conversation pulls Chan into a case with high stakes and dangerous adversaries.

Chan is greeted at New York's airport by Inspector Vance and Chan's son Jimmy, who has joined the force. The reunion foreshadows a wider investigation into the sabotage network. Chan commits to assisting the New York Police in the unfolding case.

The next day, Chan visits Drake at George Kirby's apartment, where a dinner party is in progress. Drake is found dead from poison gas in the library, and his briefcase containing crucial notes is missing. Chan suspects a guest at the party and starts to piece together the night’s sequence of events.

Chan learns Drake invited Oxford classmate Herbert Fenton, actress June Preston, and Ralph Percy, along with Kirby (president of the Metropolitan Aircraft Corporation), and stockbroker Keith Jeffery. The missing briefcase hints that someone at the party concealed Drake’s sabotage files. The investigation widens as relationships between the guests emerge.

Patricia West, Narvo’s wife, had spoken to Drake on behalf of a friend and fled when she learned Narvo’s sabotage links. West’s involvement points to a larger conspiratorial network and pushes Chan to consider Narvo’s inner circle. Ramullah is introduced as Narvo’s assistant who has been pursuing West.

Ramullah is eventually tracked down with West’s help and taken into custody. In a police lineup of Indians, Shorty McCoy—'The Canarsie Kid'—is revealed to be a faker rather than the fakir. West narrowly avoids danger during the exposure.

A coatroom attendant reports that Drake checked his briefcase at the club where he works. Kirby’s butler Boggs claims Kirby left him a note directing him to fetch the briefcase. A close inspection shows the note and briefcase are forged, turning a possible clue into a deception. The mystery thickens as investigators re-evaluate every lead.

Jimmy Chan is entrusted with vital fingerprint evidence, but is mugged in an elevator and the evidence is stolen. The loss disrupts the chain of custody at a critical moment. The investigators press on, wary that the culprit may strike again at any time.

That night, Kirby’s body is discovered hidden behind his desk, killed by poisoned brandy. The killer seems to have trusted enough to share a drink, intensifying the sense of betrayal among the suspects. The case becomes personal for Chan as the circle of suspects narrows.

Chan decides to bring all suspects together at the airport the next day, where a plane is prepared for a test flight to demonstrate the sabotage mechanism. The tense setup doubles as a trap to catch the killer and prevent disaster.

During the flight, a glass globe containing the poison gas is knocked loose but is retrieved by Herbert Fenton who smashes it to prevent a release. The plane lands and the passengers go free as police move in to close in on the saboteurs. The discovery of the trap during inspection seems to foil the plan.

Fenton proves not to be Narvo, as Narvo is described as younger. He refuses to name his leader, leaving the mastermind behind the ring still unnamed. The poison linked to Kirby’s brandy also appears in the later water sample, tying cases together but not revealing the ringleader.