Barney has problems - he is teased at school, he has a rich but miserly father, and, most of all, he has a congenital bone weakness that makes the top of his head so fragile that it could crack like an egg. When he is kidnapped and taken to France by 'the Crow' and his wicked gang, he finds himself in the middle of an adventure which proves him to be a resourceful lad. He escapes with the help of Lucretia, daughter of 'the Crow', and also very resourceful. She, too, suffers from a disability - lupus erythematosus - so their escape is fraught with danger to them both. The way they win through with the help of Mickie Trickie, a cheap and cheerful private eye hired by Barney's father, makes the bulk of the story. The tone of the novel is light and funny, and there is lots of clever and bizarre detail. Amazing adventure with two children who let nothing get them down.