Peter Much is in an older mystery tradition. He is a highly respected New Zealand pathologist and his detection is more of an accidental sideline than an activity sought out. Thus, while out boating, he is on the scene when a young skin diver is brought up dead. Starting with one corpse, Peter's curiosity and stubbornness leads to a second odd death. He associates the two and discovers that he has become the quarry. Smuggling and murder are the specialty of his enemy and Peter solves it in the step-by-step, amateur/expert style that is dated but nonetheless satisfying.