''A Dying Fall'' centers on Captain Charles Rathlyn, a down-on-his-luck racehorse trainer. After betting everything on his prize horse, Silver Eagle, and losing the race, he faces financial ruin. He is subsequently hired by Kate Wyngold-the wealthy widow who owned the winning horse-to manage her racing stables.
The two eventually marry, creating a comfortable country life for Charles, though it functions primarily as a marriage of convenience. Things take a dramatic turn when Charles falls deeply in love with a local woman named Anne Faery. Shortly thereafter, Kate Rathlyn tragically plunges to her death over a gallery banister onto a parquet floor below.
Set in the struggling, post-war English countryside, this story follows Captain Charles Rathlyn as he becomes the prime suspect in his wealthy wife's fatal plunge down the stairs. It is praised for blending traditional police procedure with a heavy emphasis on psychological character development, ultimately keeping the reader guessing until the final line.
