A defaced portrait and the death of an artist - but is anything quite what it seems? To the furious disapproval of his assistant, April, Lord Petteril insists on calling in on Lady Haggard's country house party - only to discover his hostess and her guests in uproar over a portrait of the late Sir Weston Haggard which has been deliberately damaged.

While Petteril tries to trace the vandal among the well-born suspects - who include members of his own family, old friends and enemies, and even amorous widows - April encounters fresh problems and makes new friends.

But when real violence erupts, their hunt for the truth turns suddenly much more urgent...