First movie in the Lord John's Journal series. Detective novel author and war hero Lord John solves a mystery.

Cora Madison, the town flirt, delights in making men love her and then dropping them, so when newcomer Valentine Corliss arrives, she views him as just another potential victim. Rather than falling for her charms, however, Valentine persuades Cora to use them in getting her past suitors to invest money in one of his phony business deals. Cora soon falls in love with Valentine but also discovers, along with the other townspeople, that he has been swindling almost everyone and that he courted Cora simply to be able to use her well-respected father's name in connection with his business scam.

Racketeer Steve Recka, art patron and political power-maker, rules his town and Madame Lan Ying, his beautiful friend and hostess (read:mistress), with an iron hand. He meets Margaret Van Kase, a socialite not impressed by his power nor his wealth, having no money herself, and Steve makes frantic efforts to win her and turns away from the loyal Lin Yang.

A Japanese maiden is pursued by an unscrupulous American young man who falsely believes her to have great riches.