Veronica Stallwood

When Kate Ivory returns from holiday and visits her mother, Roz, she sends her away insisting that her new friends, the Freemans, are taking care of her. Something about the couple disturbs Kate, so she decides to look into their background. She uncovers a countrywide trail of deception and soon realises that her mother may not be the only one in danger...

When two of Kate Ivory's friends, working at an Oxford University biotechnology unit, start to receive smoke bombs through the letterbox, Kate is intrigued and disturbed. The team is in danger of being disbanded and if this happens the important project they are working on will come to an end.

Kate Ivory is drawn into a complex murder at an Oxford College and into conflict with her old sparring partner.

Daisy Tompkins has put in a complaint about her tutor, Joseph Fechon. Faith Beeton, Dean of Women Students investigates, but Joseph is her friend, so she turns to her reluctant friend Kate Ivory for an impartial opinion. Then Daisy is murdered and Kate is drawn into the search for the truth.