October 1924 2,000 people travel to New York on the Endeavour, along with a murderer. Timothy Birch, a ship's officer, is prepared to call an elderly man's death at the bottom of a staircase an unfortunate accident. But James Temple, a tough-minded Scotland Yard inspector, is convinced that this disaster is more complicated than first appears. Birch decides to look into it, and the investigation soon uncovers the theft of a precious painting. Its owner and the now-deceased man are the only people who are aware of it even now. With only a few days left before they arrive in New York, and with Temple's role aboard the Endeavour looking more and more dubious, Birch's quest for the offender is dangerous. And throughout,