'The Box Office Murders' by Freeman Wills Crofts takes place in the bustling city of London, where a young woman working at a cinema's box office finds herself ensnared by a sinister trio of criminals. With the aid of a resourceful solicitor, she seeks refuge at Scotland Yard, where she reveals the chilling tale of the Purple Sickle. However, tragedy strikes when her lifeless body is discovered floating in Southampton Water. As Inspector French investigates, he uncovers a series of eerily similar murders and begins to unravel the secret of the criminal trio.