A body surfaces off the Isle of Man in a puzzling mystery by the master of the "pure British detective story" (The New York Times).

The Manx Shearwater was scallop dredging—but it dragged up a body from the water instead. Considering that the corpse was tied at the ankles and weighed down with stones, it's clear this was no accidental drowning—and now the locals are in an uproar.

The victim appears to be Cedric Levis, who had an extravagant house and a reputation for philandering. Was Levis murdered for his money—or was this a crime of passion? Under the pretext of a holiday, Chief Inspector Littlejohn is invited by his old friend Archdeacon Kinrade to unofficially assist with the murder investigation—but to separate fact from fiction, he'll have to sort through accusations, town gossip, and mysterious stories surrounding the ancient Cursing Stones . . .