At The Villa Rose introduces A. E. W. Mason's famous French detective, Inspector Hanaud and his wealthy, well-meaning but relatively useless companion, Mr. Ricardo. They are on vacation when a young Englishman, Harry Wethermill, pleads with Hanaud to take the case of a murdered woman, Mme Dauvray, whose famous jewels, which she wore ostentatiously, are, unsurprisingly, missing. Suspicion falls immediately on Mme Dauvray's young English companion, Celia Harland, who loves and is loved by Wethermill. Faced with what appears to be an interesting case, Hanaud agrees to take it. But not all is as it seems. Agatha Christie based her Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, on Inspector Hanaud.
