The imposing setting of Arundel Lodge plays host to a another grim murder investigation for Chief Inspector Malden as one of the thrice yearly gatherings of the Smythe-Gore family turns into something far more sinister than the usual weekend of family bickering. When the wealthy patriarch Herbert Smythe-Gore's lifeless body is discovered with an accompanying suicide note, his wife is adamant that her husband was murdered. As it quickly becomes clear that no outside intervention took place, Malden must pick his way through a quagmire of sexual and racial tension to get to the truth behind the insidious crime.