A serial killer is on the loose, murdering his victims in alphabetical order, leaving an ABC Railway Guide beside each body... and also playing a game with Hercule Poirot, alerting him in advance to the locations of the murders, but Poirot always arrives too late. Intrigued by the psychopath’s mind and methodology Poirot, with the help of Hastings and Japp, travels the length and breadth of England - determined to track down this ruthless killer.