
Alfred Jones is a translator for a Swiss Chocolate company in Vevey. In his fifties, Jones marries Anna-Luise, daughter of infamous millionaire Doctor Fischer who made is fortune by inventing Dentophil Bouquet, a toothpaste.
Fischer is reviled and feared by all, including his "Toads" - an odd assortment of greedy, wealthy people that attend his appalling, degrading dinners.
Is Jones corruptible? How will he exact his revenge? Greene keeps us guessing until the final scene.