The Man with Two Left Feet and Other Stories

More about the book

There's a divinity that shapes our ends. Consider Henry Pifield Rice, a detective, though not in the traditional sense. Employed at Stafford's International Investigation Bureau, he wasn't tasked with solving baffling mysteries or measuring footprints; rather, his duties involved mundane observations, like noting when someone left a restaurant. Thus, he is not the heroic investigator one might expect, but a rather ordinary young man, often referred to by his colleagues with unflattering nicknames. Living in a boarding-house on Guildford Street, his life takes a turn when a new girl, Alice Weston, joins the household. She is small, quiet, and pretty, and they quickly bond over simple conversations that evolve into something deeper. Henry discovers that Alice is a chorus girl, a departure from the more boisterous personalities he’s encountered before. Their connection grows, hinting at the potential for something more significant in Henry's otherwise unremarkable life.