Money for Nothing

In the sleepy village of Rudge-in-the-Vale, a trivial accident at Rudge Hall ignites a blaze of wounded pride, gossip, and comic catastrophe. Chemist and village broker of scandal Chas. Bywater draws Colonel Meredith Wyvern into a confession of outrage: his old friend Lester Carmody, he claims, escaped a tree-blasting mishap by using him as a human shield. From there the story races through a chain of misunderstandings, with barking dogs, shouted threats, and social embarrassment turning country life into high drama. Amid the chaos, John Carroll is jolted by news that Patricia Wyvern has returned from France, awakening his long, unspoken love and sending him toward a hasty proposal. But his plans are derailed by family meddling, a missing car, and the antics of Healthward Ho, Doctor Alexander Twist's comic wellness retreat, where harsh exercise, cold showers, and meager meals are sold at extravagant cost. When Chimp Twist escapes, Emily the dog launches a heroic chase, Hugo blunders into disaster, and Ronnie Fish is left to sort out injuries, lunacy, and a burglar who may not be a burglar at all. Wry, fast-moving, and full of farcical reversals, the tale skewers vanity, class pretension, and the absurd seriousness of village life. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.