Inspector's holiday

Inspector Merton Heimrich of the New York State Police is not the sort of man who would willingly leave his work to take a leisurely winter vacation—until his wife contracts pneumonia. Because the doctor thinks Susan should convalesce in a warmer climate, Heimrich puts in for leave and they embark on a Mediterranean cruise. Susan perks up immediately. The accommodations are luxurious, the food is excellent, and they find themselves surrounded by interesting people. Among them, Sir Ronald Grimes and his beautiful young wife. Sir Ronald is retiring from the diplomatic service and planning to become a country squire, puttering in his rose garden Somebody changes those plans. When Sir Ronald disappears, the ship's captain calls on the inspector for help. Heimrich begins to suspect that the Englishman has gone overboard—with a helping hand—and his suspicions are heightened when a murder is uncovered on board. "And it was being such a lovely holiday," Susan sighs. But for Heimrich, the vacation IS off. The luxury liner becomes a tracking ground as he sets out after an elusive killer and finds, along the trail, the bits and pieces of what begins to look like an international intrigue...