This is the only chance to see Donald Cook as Ellery Queen. I reckon he did a good job as the detective who takes a vacation on the Californian coast in this story. He flirts with Stella Godfrey whose parents own a big estate at Spanish Cape. She seems to resist him quite easily like she does her would-be suitors. She is quite a catch for fortune hunters as she is the obvious heir to the estate.
Male characters in their swimming trunks get murdered at Spanish Cape. Then the murders spread to a different type of victim. The favorite weapon of the murderer is cutting wire which is used extensively in the great amount of flower beds on the estate. There is a rivalry between the local Sheriff and Ellery Queen to solve the crimes. The Sheriff claims to have read every detective story written and is dismissive of Ellery Queen's theoretical methods of the literary world.
This is a good whodunit. Some fans of the genre don't always like such a big body count of murder victims which this story certainly has. But I reckon it works well in this case. And I didn't detect the murderer myself so I must give this one my recommendation.
