Last seen in The Pink Panther, Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is enlisted to solve a murder at the residence of a Parisian millionaire. His chief inspector (Herbert Lom) approaches a nervous breakdown as Clouseau focuses his efforts, not on finding the killer, but on clearing the name of the main suspect, beautiful housemaid Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer). Another distraction comes in the form of Kato (Burt Kwouk), the houseboy who is in the habit of surprising Clouseau with Judo lessons at inopportune times. As ever, Clouseau struggles with the everyday demands of his role - walking through doors, not falling into ponds - but his investigative instincts remain intact.