Joyce and Ginger, friends as close as they are different, head to London for a weeklong getaway; Joyce to spend hours shopping while Ginger takes in the museums before they reconvene each evening in the cocktail bars of the city. First on their list, however, is a visit to Kenneth, an old friend of Joyce's glamorous high-kicking Tiller-Girl mother. Kenneth, now in his eighties, is suspicious about the death of one of his peers and has been asking questions. Joyce, on the other hand, dismisses his fears as a severe case of old age. But when Kenneth is found murdered, she has to do something that will never come easily to her: admit she was wrong.

Joyce and Ginger make a formidable sleuthing partnership whenever murder crosses their path, but this time it's personal. They must delve into the past of Joyce's late mother, a woman as strong-willed as her daughter, scrutinising her friends and their relationships. Have old jealousies, lies and prejudices resurfaced to seek revenge?

Ginger's background in the wardrobe departments of London theatres comes in handy as the pair try to solve a murder or two, all the while making sure Joyce has time to add to her shoe collection. There's also the small matter of avoiding becoming the killer's next victims...