It is twenty years since Leonora Staveley retired from her illustrious career as an investigative journalist to live as a virtual recluse on Exmoor, surrounded only by her beloved animals. With an increasing lack of concern for her own welfare and her house filled to the brim with the clutter and relics of an extraordinary life, no-one was too surprised when the elderly Leonora suffered a fatal bout of food poisoning. But Sheila Malory suspects something far more sinister was involved in the death of her friend. For there are a number of people, including Leonora's brother Vernon and her neighbours the Bamfilde brothers, who had good reason to want this wealthy lady out of the way once and for all. And aside from the obvious suspects, just who was the mysterious young man seen camping near Leonora's house just days before she died . . .?