Plot summary

After the death of her uncle, Miss Jane Marple (Dame Margaret Rutherford) assumes her seat on the board of a charitable trust, founded by her grandfather. The trust is dedicated to assisting wayward youth through seamanship training aboard H.M.S. Battledore. At her first board meeting, one of her fellow trustees rises with what he says is important news and after inhaling a pinch of snuff, falls over dead. The snuff seems to have been laced with strychnine and it's a clear cut case of murder. He had recently visited the ship and Miss Marple assumes he discovered something amiss. She decides to visit the ship to see what he may have learned that would cause someone to kill him. She finds a somewhat cold welcome and soon, two of the ships officers are found dead. Clearly Miss Marple's visit has stirred someone's desire to keep secret their activities.—garykmcd