Puppet for a Corpse — Dorothy Simpson

DEATH OF A DOCTOR
Doctors are supposed to save lives, not take them. But Dr. Arnold Pettifer has killed himself. He arranged to do him-self in on a day when the house would be empty--his wife in London, his housekeeper visiting her sister, his son in school. He is found lying peacefully in bed, an empty pill container, dirty glass, half-empty wine bottle, and suicide note by his side. But for Britain's Inspector Luke Thanet, called to view the body, something doesn't add up.

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LUKE THANET
Why was the doctor's wife away for the night? Why did husband and wife have separate bedrooms? Was Pettifer having financial difficulties, troubles in his medical practice? Was he, unknown to his family, suffering from some fatal ailment? Healthy, happy people just don't commit suicide. Then Thanet uncovers the most perplexing-fact of all: The afternoon of his death, Dr. Pettifer paid two thousand pounds for a Canary Islands cruise scheduled to leave in three weeks. Why pay all that money and then go and kill yourself? Thanet means to find the answer, and he is well aware that the curious path may lead straight to murder.