Dougal Douglas arrives in the quiet London suburb of Peckham Rye, systematically dismantling the social order of a local firm through calculated manipulation and chaos. Dougal, a man possessing a mysterious and potentially demonic nature, secures a position as a consultant to improve the lives of factory workers. He instead orchestrates a series of disruptions, encouraging absenteeism, fraud, and interpersonal conflict among the staff. The narrative operates through a sharp, detached third-person perspective that highlights the absurdity of the characters' moral failings. The world is defined by the rigid social hierarchies of post-war Britain, which Dougal exploits with surgical precision.

Readers frequently highlight the biting wit and the unsettling nature of the protagonist, Dougal Douglas. Discussion often centers on the book's ability to balance comedic absurdity with a deeply cynical view of human behavior. Critics often point to the author's precise, economical prose as a defining feature that prevents the narrative from becoming overly sentimental. The work is widely regarded as a significant example of mid-century satire that challenges the reader to question the motives of those who claim to improve society. Many find the ending particularly effective in its refusal to provide a conventional moral resolution.