# Luck and Chance in The Man in the Queue

> Theme guide for The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

Grant repeatedly acknowledges the role of luck in police work, from the 'outrageous piece of luck' that catches criminals to the chance arrival of Mrs. Wallis's confession that prevents a wrongful conviction, emphasizing the unpredictability of justice.

## Where it surfaces

- [III: Danny Miller](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/iii-danny-miller): Grant reflects on the 'queer unexpectedness of chance' and pursues the slim hope that a shop assistant might remember selling the tie. Miller's sudden recollection of the victim is a stroke of luck.
- [IX: Grant Gets More Information Than He Expected](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/ix-grant-gets-more-information-than-he-expected): Grant acknowledges luck's role in police work, and the discovery of Mrs. Everett's prints is a chance breakthrough that shifts the investigation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/themes/luck_and_chance
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/themes