Nick Buckley was an unusual name for a pretty young woman But then she had led an unusual life First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick's sun hat, Hercule Poirot decides the girl needs his protection At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn't been committed