Newspaper reporter Jessica Manifest's questionable death takes Inspector Luke Thanet away from his daughter's wedding preparations to investigate the victim's supposedly accidental death. As he delves into her secretive past, he realizes that there are many people with motives for murdering her. "Thanet's investigation proceeds with satisfying depth...Simpson tailors her plot with skill and care, nicely dovetailing all the clues and reserving a special twist for the end" (Library Journal).