"Persons Unknown"

This book is a mystery novel authored by Virginia Tracy. The book begins with the protagonist, Herrick, lying in bed on a hot summer night, unable to sleep. He has a dream in which he is on a beach with his sister and the Heroine of his novel, who holds out a finished copy of the book to him. The dream turns into a nightmare when a fog rolls in and he is confronted by a figure who tells him to «Ask Nancy Cornish.» When he wakes up, he is confused about the significance of the phrase and the appearance of Nancy Cornish, a girl he hasn't seen in eight years.