Noir Confidential
14 episodes
Web <link> from RSS feed:
https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B06XNLBWT1
Database link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1942998
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https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1942998.rss
Creator: Jerry Bader
Full cast Noir Serial Audio Book
Synopsis:
Noir Confidential draws upon the era of filmmaking known as Film Noir. Today, the genre is called Neo-Noir, but the same concepts, tropes, and techniques are used to reflect today's feelings of inevitability, cynicism and defeat. The pessimism, distrust, and greed displayed in classic Film Noir movies like "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Third Man" speak to a society racked by geopolitical conflict and economic disparity. All the elements that sparked the Film Noir heyday have returned to haunt society, and a new class of cynical anti-heroes and manipulative Femme Fatales have arrived to exorcise their demons by finding their elusive MacGuffin. Occasionally we will present a classic radio play from the 1940s and early 50s: some Dashiell Hammett (Sam Spade) and Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe), but to be completely upfront we are here to promote audiobooks in general and more specifically my own books like Deception, Delusion, Dilemma, Diversion, and Defection.Coming very soon is a special Noir Confidential Premiere Exclusive, CULT - The Podcast Movie. That's right podcast fans, we're bringing back Theatre of The Mind, radio plays for the podcast era. CULT is a movie script I wrote based on a short story published in my book Noir II. I've rewritten the story and turned it into a movie script. It is currently being produced as a special presentation just for my podcast subscribers. I hope you enjoy it.
Format: Audio Book
Continuity: Serial
Writing: Scripted
Voices: Full cast
Genres: Noir
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Episodes:
Neo-Noir Podcast Review 0f Author/Screenwriter - Jerry Bader
Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400
This is a Neo-Noir Podcast Review of author and screenwriter Jerry Bader's books written to be turned into television or feature film franchises.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Vendetta Caper
Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400
"The Axel Files: Florence's Floozy" is the first book in the ten book series about Privare Detective Axel Webb who travels the world finding lost, stolen, and mis appropriated art and artifacts. If you like "The Maltese Falcon," you should check out The Axel Files.
The Axel Files:
Florence’s Floozy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4NWHBPV/
Who Will Find The Savola Diamond,
And Who Will Die Trying?
What would you do to be rich? Not just rich, but fabulously rich. Perhaps you are that unique soul that has no dreams, no aspirations, no agenda… well if you are, good luck. It must be a very dreary existence. But if you’re like the rest of us, you have a fantasy, a vision of what could be, of what you could be. Maybe that dream is selfish, or maybe it’s altruistic, or maybe... it’s extremist.
What if there was a family jewel, an exquisite 133-carat pink piece of perfection, a diamond that historically belonged to you, and what if that gem was stolen and disappeared for eighty years? And what if, rumour had it, that diamond suddenly reappeared? What lengths would you go to get it back? And what if the person who stole that diamond promised it to some very bad people so he could get his family to safety during a war. And what if that person was murdered for making that Faustian deal that he refused to deliver on? What if… What if…
When people are desperate, when people run out of options when people have no other place to go… who do they turn to? Perhaps to a man like Axel Webb. Why? Just ask him. He’ll tell you: “I find things; I find out things about things, and I find evidence of things.”
So it’s not surprising that an exiled Italian Conte and his wife, a pair of religiously motivated social extremists, and the great-granddaughter of the man who stole the gem all find their way to Axel Webb’s office.
International intrigue, religious extremism, self-preservation, and murder are all facets of the glittering pink prize. Who will find it, and at what cost? Or does it even still exist?
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Kimberley Cross Caper
Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400
"The Axel Files: Florence's Floozy" is the first book in the ten book series about Privare Detective Axel Webb who travels the world finding lost, stolen, and mis appropriated art and artifacts. If you like "The Maltese Falcon," you should check out The Axel Files.
The Axel Files:
Florence’s Floozy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4NWHBPV/
Who Will Find The Savola Diamond,
And Who Will Die Trying?
What would you do to be rich? Not just rich, but fabulously rich. Perhaps you are that unique soul that has no dreams, no aspirations, no agenda… well if you are, good luck. It must be a very dreary existence. But if you’re like the rest of us, you have a fantasy, a vision of what could be, of what you could be. Maybe that dream is selfish, or maybe it’s altruistic, or maybe... it’s extremist.
What if there was a family jewel, an exquisite 133-carat pink piece of perfection, a diamond that historically belonged to you, and what if that gem was stolen and disappeared for eighty years? And what if, rumour had it, that diamond suddenly reappeared? What lengths would you go to get it back? And what if the person who stole that diamond promised it to some very bad people so he could get his family to safety during a war. And what if that person was murdered for making that Faustian deal that he refused to deliver on? What if… What if…
When people are desperate, when people run out of options when people have no other place to go… who do they turn to? Perhaps to a man like Axel Webb. Why? Just ask him. He’ll tell you: “I find things; I find out things about things, and I find evidence of things.”
So it’s not surprising that an exiled Italian Conte and his wife, a pair of religiously motivated social extremists, and the great-granddaughter of the man who stole the gem all find their way to Axel Webb’s office.
International intrigue, religious extremism, self-preservation, and murder are all facets of the glittering pink prize. Who will find it, and at what cost? Or does it even still exist?
The Adventures of Sam Spade: THe Sinister Siren Caper
Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400
"The Axel Files: Florence's Floozy" is the first book in the ten book series about Privare Detective Axel Webb who travels the world finding lost, stolen, and mis appropriated art and artifacts. If you like "The Maltese Falcon," you should check out The Axel Files.
The Axel Files:
Florence’s Floozy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4NWHBPV/
Who Will Find The Savola Diamond,
And Who Will Die Trying?
What would you do to be rich? Not just rich, but fabulously rich. Perhaps you are that unique soul that has no dreams, no aspirations, no agenda… well if you are, good luck. It must be a very dreary existence. But if you’re like the rest of us, you have a fantasy, a vision of what could be, of what you could be. Maybe that dream is selfish, or maybe it’s altruistic, or maybe... it’s extremist.
What if there was a family jewel, an exquisite 133-carat pink piece of perfection, a diamond that historically belonged to you, and what if that gem was stolen and disappeared for eighty years? And what if, rumour had it, that diamond suddenly reappeared? What lengths would you go to get it back? And what if the person who stole that diamond promised it to some very bad people so he could get his family to safety during a war. And what if that person was murdered for making that Faustian deal that he refused to deliver on? What if… What if…
When people are desperate, when people run out of options when people have no other place to go… who do they turn to? Perhaps to a man like Axel Webb. Why? Just ask him. He’ll tell you: “I find things; I find out things about things, and I find evidence of things.”
So it’s not surprising that an exiled Italian Conte and his wife, a pair of religiously motivated social extremists, and the great-granddaughter of the man who stole the gem all find their way to Axel Webb’s office.
International intrigue, religious extremism, self-preservation, and murder are all facets of the glittering pink prize. Who will find it, and at what cost? Or does it even still exist?
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Spanish Prisoner Caper
Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0400
"The Axel Files: Florence's Floozy" is the first book in the ten book series about Privare Detective Axel Webb who travels the world finding lost, stolen, and mis appropriated art and artifacts. If you like "The Maltese Falcon," you should check out The Axel Files.
The Axel Files:
Florence’s Floozy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4NWHBPV/
Who Will Find The Savola Diamond,
And Who Will Die Trying?
What would you do to be rich? Not just rich, but fabulously rich. Perhaps you are that unique soul that has no dreams, no aspirations, no agenda… well if you are, good luck. It must be a very dreary existence. But if you’re like the rest of us, you have a fantasy, a vision of what could be, of what you could be. Maybe that dream is selfish, or maybe it’s altruistic, or maybe... it’s extremist.
What if there was a family jewel, an exquisite 133-carat pink piece of perfection, a diamond that historically belonged to you, and what if that gem was stolen and disappeared for eighty years? And what if, rumour had it, that diamond suddenly reappeared? What lengths would you go to get it back? And what if the person who stole that diamond promised it to some very bad people so he could get his family to safety during a war. And what if that person was murdered for making that Faustian deal that he refused to deliver on? What if… What if…
When people are desperate, when people run out of options when people have no other place to go… who do they turn to? Perhaps to a man like Axel Webb. Why? Just ask him. He’ll tell you: “I find things; I find out things about things, and I find evidence of things.”
So it’s not surprising that an exiled Italian Conte and his wife, a pair of religiously motivated social extremists, and the great-granddaughter of the man who stole the gem all find their way to Axel Webb’s office.
International intrigue, religious extremism, self-preservation, and murder are all facets of the glittering pink prize. Who will find it, and at what cost? Or does it even still exist?
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Crab Louis Caper
Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400
Deception
Written by Jerry Bader
The world is a dangerous place, and every country has men and women tasked to protect it. These people go by many names: secret agents, intelligence officers, and analysts are just a few. Harry is one such person. He is an analyst. He spends his time reading, researching, and analyzing, followed by writing reports that often never see the light of day.
Harry is well educated with a seemingly important job, but Harry is bored. Bored, because analysts never get to be the hero, never get to order cocktails stirred not shaken, and, never, never, get the girl. Harry is frustrated, frustrated because his superiors told him the report he just spent six months working on is to be tabled, and no, he can’t have a field operative to work with to follow up.
Harry has one very dangerous character flaw, he has an imagination, not something the men on the Top Floor appreciate. Harry needs to prove himself; he needs some excitement in his life, and that excitement comes in a deadly package of intrigue and murder that combines something called the Sister Project with a Russian master spy, H. K. Kyrsa, code name, the Beautiful Rat, and the devastatingly gorgeous Harriet. The question is, is it all just happening in Harry’s head, or is there a real plot that needs to be stopped? Is Harry just plain crazy, or are the Russians out to mess with the West one more time? Harry is on his own, not sure who to trust. Are there any good guys in the world of espionage? The only way to find out is to find Kyrsa, the Beautiful Rat. Join Harry in his search for what may not even be real.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Shot In The Dark Caper
Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400
Deception
Written by Jerry Bader
The world is a dangerous place, and every country has men and women tasked to protect it. These people go by many names: secret agents, intelligence officers, and analysts are just a few. Harry is one such person. He is an analyst. He spends his time reading, researching, and analyzing, followed by writing reports that often never see the light of day.
Harry is well educated with a seemingly important job, but Harry is bored. Bored, because analysts never get to be the hero, never get to order cocktails stirred not shaken, and, never, never, get the girl. Harry is frustrated, frustrated because his superiors told him the report he just spent six months working on is to be tabled, and no, he can’t have a field operative to work with to follow up.
Harry has one very dangerous character flaw, he has an imagination, not something the men on the Top Floor appreciate. Harry needs to prove himself; he needs some excitement in his life, and that excitement comes in a deadly package of intrigue and murder that combines something called the Sister Project with a Russian master spy, H. K. Kyrsa, code name, the Beautiful Rat, and the devastatingly gorgeous Harriet. The question is, is it all just happening in Harry’s head, or is there a real plot that needs to be stopped? Is Harry just plain crazy, or are the Russians out to mess with the West one more time? Harry is on his own, not sure who to trust. Are there any good guys in the world of espionage? The only way to find out is to find Kyrsa, the Beautiful Rat. Join Harry in his search for what may not even be real.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Soap Opera Caper
Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400
Deception
Written by Jerry Bader
The world is a dangerous place, and every country has men and women tasked to protect it. These people go by many names: secret agents, intelligence officers, and analysts are just a few. Harry is one such person. He is an analyst. He spends his time reading, researching, and analyzing, followed by writing reports that often never see the light of day.
Harry is well educated with a seemingly important job, but Harry is bored. Bored, because analysts never get to be the hero, never get to order cocktails stirred not shaken, and, never, never, get the girl. Harry is frustrated, frustrated because his superiors told him the report he just spent six months working on is to be tabled, and no, he can’t have a field operative to work with to follow up.
Harry has one very dangerous character flaw, he has an imagination, not something the men on the Top Floor appreciate. Harry needs to prove himself; he needs some excitement in his life, and that excitement comes in a deadly package of intrigue and murder that combines something called the Sister Project with a Russian master spy, H. K. Kyrsa, code name, the Beautiful Rat, and the devastatingly gorgeous Harriet. The question is, is it all just happening in Harry’s head, or is there a real plot that needs to be stopped? Is Harry just plain crazy, or are the Russians out to mess with the West one more time? Harry is on his own, not sure who to trust. Are there any good guys in the world of espionage? The only way to find out is to find Kyrsa, the Beautiful Rat. Join Harry in his search for what may not even be real.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Sure Thing Caper
Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400
Deception
Written by Jerry Bader
The world is a dangerous place, and every country has men and women tasked to protect it. These people go by many names: secret agents, intelligence officers, and analysts are just a few. Harry is one such person. He is an analyst. He spends his time reading, researching, and analyzing, followed by writing reports that often never see the light of day.
Harry is well educated with a seemingly important job, but Harry is bored. Bored, because analysts never get to be the hero, never get to order cocktails stirred not shaken, and, never, never, get the girl. Harry is frustrated, frustrated because his superiors told him the report he just spent six months working on is to be tabled, and no, he can’t have a field operative to work with to follow up.
Harry has one very dangerous character flaw, he has an imagination, not something the men on the Top Floor appreciate. Harry needs to prove himself; he needs some excitement in his life, and that excitement comes in a deadly package of intrigue and murder that combines something called the Sister Project with a Russian master spy, H. K. Kyrsa, code name, the Beautiful Rat, and the devastatingly gorgeous Harriet. The question is, is it all just happening in Harry’s head, or is there a real plot that needs to be stopped? Is Harry just plain crazy, or are the Russians out to mess with the West one more time? Harry is on his own, not sure who to trust. Are there any good guys in the world of espionage? The only way to find out is to find Kyrsa, the Beautiful Rat. Join Harry in his search for what may not even be real.
The Neo-Noir Podcast Review of "The Axel Files: The Norwegian Gambit
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0500
Check Out Jerry Bader's Latest:
The Axel Files: The Norweigan Gambit
https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Gambit-Jerry-Bader-ebook/dp/B0DVD3FQPL
The world is in a constant state of flux. Countries, borders, and even civilizations come and go. Who owns what changes with the tides of time. Ownership is a transient concept. When money or value is on the line, the stakeholders line up to profit, and if they don’t get what they want, disputes ensue, sometimes lasting decades. Case in point, the Isle of Lewis Chessman, a Norsemen-created set of playing pieces discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis, a small island in the Hebrides archipelago off the coast of Scotland. Over the next, almost two hundred years, the chessmen passed through many hands, ending with 11 pieces in the National Museum of Scotland, 82 in the British Museum, and 1 in the hands of a private collector, who paid 735,000 pounds for a single piece. But Norway, which possesses none, claims ownership because they were carved by Vikings, which irks a Norwegian, chess-obsessed multi-millionaire distiller, Karl Dahl.
Dahl takes the issue into his own hands. He is determined to repatriate the chessmen to Norway. He hires a shady, former sleight-of-hand magician who goes by the name, Mister Engineer. Engineer is an Englishman of Indian descent whose job is to plan and execute a robbery during a chess tournament in London sponsored by Dahl’s Aquavit alcohol company. The plan goes seamlessly. Unfortunately, the chessmen delivered to Dahl are fakes. The volatile multi-millionaire decides to eliminate Engineer, who he believes stole the chessmen for himself. He sends his bodyguard to kill Engineer and recover the historic prize.
The Curator of the Medieval Collection at the British Museum also discovers the chessmen returned after being on display at the tournament are replicas. He hires Alastair Hughes, an art and antiques consultant, to recover the chessmen. Hughes is an old acquaintance of Toronto, Private Investigator Axel Webb. Axel is in London on vacation with his research assistant and girlfriend, Zelda Cohen. Axel is the man to contact when something old and valuable is missing. Hughes hires Axel to find the chessmen, but Axel and Dahl aren’t the only ones looking for Engineer. Detective Sergeant Fitzgibbon, the man in charge of London’s MPS Art and Antiques Unit of the Organized Economic Crime Command, is also on the case.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The String of Death Caper
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0500
Check Out Jerry Bader's Latest:
The Axel Files: The Norweigan Gambit
https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Gambit-Jerry-Bader-ebook/dp/B0DVD3FQPL
The world is in a constant state of flux. Countries, borders, and even civilizations come and go. Who owns what changes with the tides of time. Ownership is a transient concept. When money or value is on the line, the stakeholders line up to profit, and if they don’t get what they want, disputes ensue, sometimes lasting decades. Case in point, the Isle of Lewis Chessman, a Norsemen-created set of playing pieces discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis, a small island in the Hebrides archipelago off the coast of Scotland. Over the next, almost two hundred years, the chessmen passed through many hands, ending with 11 pieces in the National Museum of Scotland, 82 in the British Museum, and 1 in the hands of a private collector, who paid 735,000 pounds for a single piece. But Norway, which possesses none, claims ownership because they were carved by Vikings, which irks a Norwegian, chess-obsessed multi-millionaire distiller, Karl Dahl.
Dahl takes the issue into his own hands. He is determined to repatriate the chessmen to Norway. He hires a shady, former sleight-of-hand magician who goes by the name, Mister Engineer. Engineer is an Englishman of Indian descent whose job is to plan and execute a robbery during a chess tournament in London sponsored by Dahl’s Aquavit alcohol company. The plan goes seamlessly. Unfortunately, the chessmen delivered to Dahl are fakes. The volatile multi-millionaire decides to eliminate Engineer, who he believes stole the chessmen for himself. He sends his bodyguard to kill Engineer and recover the historic prize.
The Curator of the Medieval Collection at the British Museum also discovers the chessmen returned after being on display at the tournament are replicas. He hires Alastair Hughes, an art and antiques consultant, to recover the chessmen. Hughes is an old acquaintance of Toronto, Private Investigator Axel Webb. Axel is in London on vacation with his research assistant and girlfriend, Zelda Cohen. Axel is the man to contact when something old and valuable is missing. Hughes hires Axel to find the chessmen, but Axel and Dahl aren’t the only ones looking for Engineer. Detective Sergeant Fitzgibbon, the man in charge of London’s MPS Art and Antiques Unit of the Organized Economic Crime Command, is also on the case.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Chateau McCloud Caper
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0500
Check Out Jerry Bader's Latest:
The Axel Files: The Norweigan Gambit
https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Gambit-Jerry-Bader-ebook/dp/B0DVD3FQPL
The world is in a constant state of flux. Countries, borders, and even civilizations come and go. Who owns what changes with the tides of time. Ownership is a transient concept. When money or value is on the line, the stakeholders line up to profit, and if they don’t get what they want, disputes ensue, sometimes lasting decades. Case in point, the Isle of Lewis Chessman, a Norsemen-created set of playing pieces discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis, a small island in the Hebrides archipelago off the coast of Scotland. Over the next, almost two hundred years, the chessmen passed through many hands, ending with 11 pieces in the National Museum of Scotland, 82 in the British Museum, and 1 in the hands of a private collector, who paid 735,000 pounds for a single piece. But Norway, which possesses none, claims ownership because they were carved by Vikings, which irks a Norwegian, chess-obsessed multi-millionaire distiller, Karl Dahl.
Dahl takes the issue into his own hands. He is determined to repatriate the chessmen to Norway. He hires a shady, former sleight-of-hand magician who goes by the name, Mister Engineer. Engineer is an Englishman of Indian descent whose job is to plan and execute a robbery during a chess tournament in London sponsored by Dahl’s Aquavit alcohol company. The plan goes seamlessly. Unfortunately, the chessmen delivered to Dahl are fakes. The volatile multi-millionaire decides to eliminate Engineer, who he believes stole the chessmen for himself. He sends his bodyguard to kill Engineer and recover the historic prize.
The Curator of the Medieval Collection at the British Museum also discovers the chessmen returned after being on display at the tournament are replicas. He hires Alastair Hughes, an art and antiques consultant, to recover the chessmen. Hughes is an old acquaintance of Toronto, Private Investigator Axel Webb. Axel is in London on vacation with his research assistant and girlfriend, Zelda Cohen. Axel is the man to contact when something old and valuable is missing. Hughes hires Axel to find the chessmen, but Axel and Dahl aren’t the only ones looking for Engineer. Detective Sergeant Fitzgibbon, the man in charge of London’s MPS Art and Antiques Unit of the Organized Economic Crime Command, is also on the case.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Cloak and Dagger Caper
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0500
Check Out Jerry Bader's Latest:
The Axel Files: The Norweigan Gambit
https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Gambit-Jerry-Bader-ebook/dp/B0DVD3FQPL
The world is in a constant state of flux. Countries, borders, and even civilizations come and go. Who owns what changes with the tides of time. Ownership is a transient concept. When money or value is on the line, the stakeholders line up to profit, and if they don’t get what they want, disputes ensue, sometimes lasting decades. Case in point, the Isle of Lewis Chessman, a Norsemen-created set of playing pieces discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis, a small island in the Hebrides archipelago off the coast of Scotland. Over the next, almost two hundred years, the chessmen passed through many hands, ending with 11 pieces in the National Museum of Scotland, 82 in the British Museum, and 1 in the hands of a private collector, who paid 735,000 pounds for a single piece. But Norway, which possesses none, claims ownership because they were carved by Vikings, which irks a Norwegian, chess-obsessed multi-millionaire distiller, Karl Dahl.
Dahl takes the issue into his own hands. He is determined to repatriate the chessmen to Norway. He hires a shady, former sleight-of-hand magician who goes by the name, Mister Engineer. Engineer is an Englishman of Indian descent whose job is to plan and execute a robbery during a chess tournament in London sponsored by Dahl’s Aquavit alcohol company. The plan goes seamlessly. Unfortunately, the chessmen delivered to Dahl are fakes. The volatile multi-millionaire decides to eliminate Engineer, who he believes stole the chessmen for himself. He sends his bodyguard to kill Engineer and recover the historic prize.
The Curator of the Medieval Collection at the British Museum also discovers the chessmen returned after being on display at the tournament are replicas. He hires Alastair Hughes, an art and antiques consultant, to recover the chessmen. Hughes is an old acquaintance of Toronto, Private Investigator Axel Webb. Axel is in London on vacation with his research assistant and girlfriend, Zelda Cohen. Axel is the man to contact when something old and valuable is missing. Hughes hires Axel to find the chessmen, but Axel and Dahl aren’t the only ones looking for Engineer. Detective Sergeant Fitzgibbon, the man in charge of London’s MPS Art and Antiques Unit of the Organized Economic Crime Command, is also on the case.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Red Star Caper
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0500
Check Out Jerry Bader's Latest:
The Axel Files: The Norweigan Gambit
https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Gambit-Jerry-Bader-ebook/dp/B0DVD3FQPL
The world is in a constant state of flux. Countries, borders, and even civilizations come and go. Who owns what changes with the tides of time. Ownership is a transient concept. When money or value is on the line, the stakeholders line up to profit, and if they don’t get what they want, disputes ensue, sometimes lasting decades. Case in point, the Isle of Lewis Chessman, a Norsemen-created set of playing pieces discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis, a small island in the Hebrides archipelago off the coast of Scotland. Over the next, almost two hundred years, the chessmen passed through many hands, ending with 11 pieces in the National Museum of Scotland, 82 in the British Museum, and 1 in the hands of a private collector, who paid 735,000 pounds for a single piece. But Norway, which possesses none, claims ownership because they were carved by Vikings, which irks a Norwegian, chess-obsessed multi-millionaire distiller, Karl Dahl.
Dahl takes the issue into his own hands. He is determined to repatriate the chessmen to Norway. He hires a shady, former sleight-of-hand magician who goes by the name, Mister Engineer. Engineer is an Englishman of Indian descent whose job is to plan and execute a robbery during a chess tournament in London sponsored by Dahl’s Aquavit alcohol company. The plan goes seamlessly. Unfortunately, the chessmen delivered to Dahl are fakes. The volatile multi-millionaire decides to eliminate Engineer, who he believes stole the chessmen for himself. He sends his bodyguard to kill Engineer and recover the historic prize.
The Curator of the Medieval Collection at the British Museum also discovers the chessmen returned after being on display at the tournament are replicas. He hires Alastair Hughes, an art and antiques consultant, to recover the chessmen. Hughes is an old acquaintance of Toronto, Private Investigator Axel Webb. Axel is in London on vacation with his research assistant and girlfriend, Zelda Cohen. Axel is the man to contact when something old and valuable is missing. Hughes hires Axel to find the chessmen, but Axel and Dahl aren’t the only ones looking for Engineer. Detective Sergeant Fitzgibbon, the man in charge of London’s MPS Art and Antiques Unit of the Organized Economic Crime Command, is also on the case.