"My name is Luke Wakefiled and I am a failure...My ability to miss out, to fall short, to come to gried, amounts to a talent...Even my failure is a failure. My life has lurched from one catastrophe to another." Until one day a different kind of catastrophe occurs: the man in front of him in the post office queue suddenly drops down dead. Instinctively, Mr Wakefield's hand snakes out and slips the corpse's unposted letter into his pocket. With one impulsive act he launches his crusade, ostensibly a search for Truth and Justice- and the identity of the mysterious 'Marion'- but eventually an irresistable adventure which takes him through a labyrinth of risks, clues and blind alleys to lead him triumphantly- if a little haphazardly- to hilarious success.