The investigation in the murder case of Rhoda Comfrey finds Reg Wexford on the trace of a mysterious novelist while he uncovers some more unexpected aspects in the silent life of Rhoda Comfrey. After all, a woman in her mid-forties who died as a virgin is not that common. His daughter's domestic problems force Wexford to escape to France, where he continues his investigation with the help of a French colleague and several dozen fresh oysters.
—Jasper P. Morgan