A seemingly disparate series of events converges at a seaside clifftop house, culminating in a calculated murder that defies initial explanation. The narrative follows the intricate connections between a failed suicide, a false accusation, and the tangled romantic life of a tennis star as they intersect at Gull's Point. Superintendent Battle must navigate these social threads to identify the killer before the final stage of a lethal plan is executed. The story utilizes a third-person perspective to observe the psychological motivations of the house party guests while maintaining the structural precision of a classic puzzle mystery.

This work is widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated examples of the author's ability to construct a complex, multi-layered puzzle. Readers and critics often highlight the innovative structure, which shifts focus from the act of murder to the events leading up to the crime. The narrative is frequently praised for its psychological depth and the clever way it misdirects the audience through seemingly mundane social interactions. It remains a staple of the genre, noted for its tight pacing and the satisfying, logical resolution that ties together the disparate threads of the plot.