K. Elkins

When Abigail Doorn was wheeled into the operation room at the Dutch Memorial Hospital, her face was strangely blue and bloated. A wire had been tightly wound around her neck. The strongest suspect, because he stood to benefit by the death of this wealthy old woman, was her protégé, the famous Dr. Janney. Just before her death he received a strange caller - one whose name he would not divulge. Ellery Queen, having come to the hospital to visit his old friend Dr. Minchen, had been present during the time of the murder.

Despite the dismal Broadway season, Gunplay continues to draw crowds. A gangland spectacle, it's packed to the gills with action, explosions, and gunfire. In fact, Gunplay is so loud that no one notices the killing of Monte Field. In a sold-out theater, Field is found dead partway through the second act, surrounded by empty seats. The police hold the crowd and call for the one man who can untangle this daring murder: Inspector Richard Queen.

The eminent detective Hercule Poirot is relaxing at a picturesque seaside resort where the rich and famous take their holidays. There, duty calls Poirot when the body of beautiful and flirtatious actress Arlena Marshall is found strangled to death. Everyone on the island is a suspect, and the crime presents Poirot with one of the most baffling and surprising puzzles of his career.

The police are convinced that Dr. Morley killed himself. Only Hercule Poirot can see that the death was not suicide, but murder. Assisting Inspector Japp, the Belgian detective investigates. When more victims surface, Poirot suspects a connection between this apparently isolated violence and a larger plot against the government.

Only Cabrillo could convert the interior of a nondescript lumber hauler into a state-of-the-art spy ship - and only he could take the helm on the dangerous covert missions it carries out for whichever US agency pays the price.