''Murder in Absence'' by Miles Burton (John Rhode) is about two seemingly separate crimes: first, the baffling murder of estate agent Rufus Jones in English market town Hembury, followed by an investigation into suspicious activities on a Norwegian freighter in the Mediterranean, both eventually linked by amateur sleuth Desmond Merrion. The novel features classic Golden Age elements, including a perplexing murder, a focus on motive and opportunity, and a shift in setting, with Inspector Arnold initially suspecting Jones's business partner before Merrion uncovers the deeper plot connecting the two mysteries.