When Kate Ivory returns from holiday, a phone call from a concerned friend gives her some rather alarming news. Apparently Kate's normally vibrant and energetic mother Roz is a shadow of her former self, and looks very ill indeed. When Kate visits her mother, Roz sends her away, insisting that her new friends, the Freemans, are taking care of her. Although the couple seems kind-hearted, something about them disturbs Kate. Are they more interested in her mother's new-found wealth than in her health? Kate decides to look into the Freemans' background. In an investigation that takes her right across the country, she uncovers a trail of deception and soon realises that her mother may not be the only one in danger...