Heart of the Matter, The

synopsis

The scene is Freetown, Sierra Leone, in the year 1942. Harry Scobie, Deputy Commissioner of Police, is nearing the end of 15 years' exemplary service. Scobie is a remarkable man - honest, upright and industrious. His chief failing is a passionate pity for the unhappy, the oppressed and the weak, and it is this pity which causes him to commit his first offence and leads to his ultimate downfall.