Mandy is hired by Peverell Press as a temporarily secretary. On a first day, to do a typing test, she follows Claudia Ettienne, one of the partners, to the archives room to retrieve a tape made by Gabriel Dauntsey, the poetry editor. As soon as they opened the door, the smell reaches them and there is no doubt in their mind. It smells death. Sonia Clements is lying on the bed, dead. However there is nothing suspicious about that death, it is clearly a suicide.

One of the writers, being the victim of a jokester, gets in touch with Adam Dalgliesh, Superintendant at New Scotland Yard, through a common friend. He thinks that his life is threatened and would like Dalgliesh to investigate, especially after that death.

Dalgliesh knows nothing is going on except for some little jokes and nothing that petty can warrant the action of the Yard.

Three weeks later, Mandy, still working at Innocent House, situated on the Thames, (the name of the House where Peverell press has established its offices for more than a century) finds Gerard Etienne, the head of Peverell Press and Claudia's brother, dead in the little archives room. The Yard is called in and the autopsy confirms this is not a natural death. Etiienne died by carbon monoxide poisoining. All the partners, James de Witt, Claudia Etienne, Gabriel Dauntsey, Frances Peverell are suspect but the police have no leads, no fingerprints, nothing shows up in the archives room or anywhere else.

Kate Miskin and Daniel Aaron question all the people that can give alibis for all the partners. All the employees are questioned too. After All Gerard Etienne wasn't a likeable person and it could have been the deed of an embittered person.

Rupert Farlow, De Witt's roommate, lies and gives a false alibi. Gabriel Dauntsey has an alibi that is not worth much even though it would have been difficult for him at 70 to do all of it in the time frame that has been established by the Police.

What bewilders the police is the small scratch on the top of the palate of Etienne, the disappearance of the tape recorder, and hissing Sid coiled around his throat with the head stuffed inside his mouth. They think it is the doing of two different persons but they can't find any lead to who did what.

One of the authors, Esme Carling, whose last novel was rejected for its mediocrity is found dead, hanged, at the pier, close to Innocent House, by Mandy again. First they thought about a suicide but the note left by her seems a bit peculiar and the police turn rapidly to murder. People who were already questioned are questioned again and a little girl who gave Carling's alibi for the night Etienne's died, tells Dalgliesh that she lied because Esme asked her to.

Two deaths, and more to come, and no leads for Adam Dalgliesh and his team who are at a total loss at to who is the culprit. All the alibis given proved to be false and they still don't know.

This is an excellent book, and the culprit is someone you really do not expect.

As always, her style is excellent, the suspense is there until the end. I can only recommend you read it.

Enjoy.