Molly Palmer-Jones arrives at her aunt Ursula’s house one morning, only to find her body slumped lifeless on the sofa . . .

Ursula Ottway’s beautiful cottage is wanted by her landlord, politician Marcus Grenville, so he can convert it into a holiday residence. So when Ursula discovers that the illegal use of poisoned bait on Grenville’s land has killed not only a rare bird of prey but also her two beloved cats, she storms to his house and threatens revenge. The next morning Molly Palmer-Jones is shocked and saddened to find Ursula’s body, dead in her own home.

Molly and her husband George decide to piece together a picture of Ursula’s last days. And it soon becomes clear that, for many people on the estate, hers was a very convenient death.

The Palmer-Joneses embark on a murder investigation, but even their professional expertise doesn’t prepare them for what is to follow. A lifetime’s-worth of secrets must surface before a killer can finally be brought to justice . . .