Problem at Sea

Poirot and Hastings are on board a ship steaming towards Alexandria, in Egypt. Poirot recovers from his usual sea-sickness to take an interest in some fellow-passengers, especially the Clappertons. The rich Mrs Clapperton is offensively rude to lesser mortals, while Colonel Clapperton is rumoured to be not a real colonel at all, but a retired music-hall performer. On arrival at Alexandria, Mrs Clapperton is found murdered in her cabin, and Poirot finds (as usual) quite a number of suspects.