Statistician Maggie Ryan returns to her alma mater to consult for Professor Charlie Fielding, who is conducting experiments on how skilled readers read. She is invited to a celebratory luncheon with retired professor Tal Chandler. But Chandler is found dead before he gets to the restaurant. The police say suicide, but Maggie offers a different reading of the crime scene, casting suspicion on Fielding, others in the psychology department and the dead man's grieving widow.

This Mystery Company edition restores to print the seventh novel in the Maggie Ryan series.

"A tasty blend of irreverence (Carlson enjoys jokes at the expense of academics) and sincerity (her portrayal of the murder victim's wife is touching). Maggie is an engaging everywoman – wife, mother, professional – who conducts her crime-busting with panache."
– Margot Mifflin in Entertainment Weekly