Oppenheim featured on the cover of Time magazine on September 12, 1927, he was the self-styled "prince of storytellers." He composed some one hundred and fifty novels, mainly of the suspense and international intrigue nature, but including romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life. He was the earliest writer of spy fiction as understood today, and invented the "Rogue Male" school of adventure thrillers that was later exploited by John Buchan and Geoffrey Household.

Philip Romilly is a young art student, half starved, both mentally and physically and without prospect. His cousin, Douglas, has everything and even buys beatrice, Philip's fiancee. The two cousins meet under an English railroad bridge and Philip emerges alone. A day or two later he sails for America, under the name Douglas Romilly and wearing his cousin's clothes. Philip's career in New York is filled with incident. On his wedding day he is arrested for the murder of his cousin, and he seems lost, but the unexpected happens to save the situation.