When Monty Bodkin returns home to England after a year in America, his absence has strengthened his resolve to claim the hand in marriage of his intended, the hockey-playing Gertrude Butterwick. However, his association with an overweight Hollywood movie mogul, his redoubtable wife, and even more formidable step-daughter sets the scene for complications. Add to this potpourri the piquant seasonings of a third-rate private detective, a devious pair of confidence tricksters, and a string of pearls, and the course of true love certainly won't run smoothly for Monty.