There are five Jemima Shore tales, including her first case, which took place when she was fifteen and still at her convent school, the school featured later in Jemima's career in Quiet as a Nun. Jemima is at her sparkling best as she solves the case of the Parr children in a remote corner of the Scottish Highlands and elegantly deals with the case of the missing bride on a romantic Venetian honeymoon. Nor is she afraid to get wet at the Holland Pools where in-laws feud and plot. Relatives are also closely involved in the murder at Arcangelo's Salon, where Jemima has her hair done....

Among other riches are four "true crime" stories and four mysteries, ending with a sophisticated tale about a group of friends holidaying in Tuscany.