Twelve passengers leave New York for Bermuda aboard the
Pendragon
, a 5000 tonner in which freight rather than cabin is the principal interest of the owners. The ship has not long passed Sandy Hook when one of the number, a wealthy coffee and tea broker, is found slain in his stateroom. The odd little enigma solver Matthew Kenton is on board, intent on a relaxing vacation, but quickly realizing he has forty hours to figure out who killed Samuel P. Leghorn, before they dock and both clues and potential suspects disappear. Interviews with passengers and crew reveal both numerous links to the dead man and an undercurrent of strange events that may or may not relate to the murder mystery. Kenton sifts through a tangle of misdirection in this gripping mystery to come to the only logical conclusion.
Richard Connell (1893-1949) was best known for his short stories, including 'The Most Dangerous Game'.
Murder at Sea
was published in 1929.