The Godfrey family is vacationing among the picturesque rocky cliffs of
the North Atlantic seaboard, expecting peace, quiet, and, perhaps, a bit
of golf or tennis. But one dusky evening in an isolated spot on the
grounds of Spanish Cape, Rosa and her uncle David get into an argument
about her secretive romance with one of their guests, the roguish John
Marco, a handsome cad with a yellow roadster and no visible source of
income. That's when a towering one-eyed man with a .38 revolver emerges
from the twilight.
When renowned sleuth Ellery Queen arrives the next day from New York
City, looking forward to a summer getaway on the coast, he realizes his
trip will be no walk on the beach. Rescuing Rosa, he discovers her
captor mistook David for John and struck the former down instead. But
Ellery has more work to do when Rosa's shady sweetheart is found stone
dead and stark naked . . . aside from a black fedora and a
theatrical-looking opera cloak. There are plenty of guests and members
of the household who might have wanted John dead, but who did it--and
what in the world happened to the victim's clothes?
In this iconic series inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and praised by
none other than Agatha Christie, carefully planted clues, logical
deduction, and an atmospheric 1930s setting combine for an irresistibly
enjoyable read for anyone who loves a murderous puzzle.
Includes discussion guide questions for use in book clubs.
