Jessica flies to London on business and gets to visit her very good friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland. George tells Jessica about a string of jewel robberies he is working on including the theft of the Heart of India, a diamond worth ten-million dollars. The owner of the Heart, Walter Yang, was murdered during the robbery. His partner, venture capitalist Kim Chin-Hwa, is the prime suspect of both the theft and murder, and it is believed that Yang had been funding terrorists.

At a party given by Jessica's British publisher, Thomas Craig, Jessica meets Kim and his beautiful young consort. She also sees an old acquaintance there, Michael Haggerty, a retired M16 agent. However, he is introduced to Jessica as Wendell Jones, a salesman from Ireland.

Jessica returns to the states on the Queen Mary 2 as a guest speaker. Her cabin boy just happens to be the nephew of some of her Cabot Cove friends. On a liner as large as the QM2 and among the thousands of passengers, it is just a coincidence that she is next door to Kim and his lady friend? And an additional coincidence is running into another acquaintance, private investigator Dennis Stanton, who is also using an alias. Everyone is sure the Heart is on this ship.

Reading a Jessica Fletcher novel is like going back in time and turning on the television to see her show. You already know what the good people of Cabot Cove, Maine look like, and you definitely know that when Jessica is around a murder is going to happen and she will be the one to solve the case. The Murder She Wrote series is easy, pleasing reading and this entertaining story is no exception.

Book Summary

Jessica Fletcher has always wanted to take a transatlantic voyage on the legendary Queen Mary II. Now, she's finally getting her chance. She's hoping to fly to London, spend a few quiet days visiting, and then depart on the high seas. When she calls her old friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland, to let him know she's on her way, he mentions the case of an enormously valuable diamond that was stolen from its wealthy owner, who was murdered during the heist. Jessica is well aware of the story.

But when she finally boards her dream ship, the deadly mystery appears to have followed her up the gangplank. Now, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, she must try to enjoy the sumptuous seaborne surroundings while she tries to find a priceless diamond-and the killer desperate enough to take a life for it.