Time — As in all Gardner mysteries, now. Place — A fashionable West Coast resort. Some of the dramatic and colorful characters involved— TED SHALE: all he wants is to sell wealthy Addison Stearne some hotel supplies — and he pancakes right into what looks like a double murder on a yacht. NITA MOLINE: glamorous and seductive blonde. What is she to Stearne? and what is she doing aboard the yacht? JOAN HARPLER: her Albatross is anchored near the palatial Gypsy Queen. She seems to spend a lot of her time aboard — when she isn’t swimming. PEARL RIGHT: she is worried. Has her jealousy driven her husband to murder? WARREN HILBERS: Pearl’s brother. His chief concern is his sister’s well-being and no effort seems too great to save her from her conscience. ELWELL AND FIELDING: they don’t want Stearne to take up the option on their oil well. FRANK DURYEA: young D.A. He finds himself sharing the investigation with the whole family— ...including... hell-raising, foxy old Grandpa Wiggins who comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion

FRANK DURYEA, the young D. A., was on the spot. Elections were coming on. The ranchers in Petrie, California, were up in arms over a loophole in the law. A mysterious and seemingly impossible murder was making a confused situation even more embarrassing. And a lot of very nice people were involved, each certain that the others were mixed up in the murder. ENTER CRAMPS WIGGINS. Duryea and his wife Milred had learned to expect most anything when her grandfather clattered into town in his disreputable-looking car with the home-made trailer. Cramps’ visits had an effect like that of a fresh, salty gale — invigorating and energizing, but promising trouble at least, if not out-and-out destruction. And this time was no exception. Excitement was Gramps’ life. If there wasn’t any, he made it; and if there was, he helped it along and made it bigger. Gramps had never let himself become too civilized — and a lucky thing it was for the District Attorney. For when they found the murdered man in the chicken rancher’s shack it was Gramps, with his eye for the girls and his knowledge of comparatively primitive accoutrements such as oil lamps, who found the astounding answer to a confusing puzzle