In The Under Dogs Mr. Footner is in his finest form. In it he tells of the amazing detective skill of Rosika Storey alias Jessie Seipp, in the opinion of the New York police the cleverest woman in the world. It tells how she wove the net which was to snare the greatest crook organisation in America. She faced infinite peril and hardship, and the greatest demands were made upon her courage and her brains, but in the end her triumph was complete. There is not a dull moment in the book; Rosika is a fascinating character, and the book reveals a vast knowledge of New York’s underworld.
The Under Dogs, published in 1925, is the first novel about Rosika Storey, told by her trusty secretary, Bella Brickley. Beautiful, intelligent Madame Rosika Storey, a respected investigator, becomes interested in the case of a young girl accused of jewel robbery. Although Melanie is desperate, she rejects Madame Storey’s help, because the gang that is after her is ruthless and, she thinks, unstoppable. When Melanie is kidnapped, Madame Storey goes undercover herself, and walks into the clutches of the gang, where she works to find its mysterious leader and to free the imprisoned Melanie.