The Penrose Mystery

Penrose is an eccentric old man in possession of some dazzling gems, which he won't insure. When Dr. Thorndyke is alerted to a burglary at his house, a scrap of paper is found with the word 'lobster' on it along with two Latin words. Meanwhile, Penrose has fled in panic after a car accident. The police believe he's gone into hiding to avoid a manslaughter charge after a hit-and-run accident. Finding him is a forlorn hope, there's so little to go on. But Thorndyke has a way of seeing significance in the merest bits of dirt inside a tire or oddments in a pocket...Polton, Dr. Thorndyke's lovable lab assistant, has an important presence in the plot, less this time for his remarkable technical skills than for his fondness for fixing antique clocks.