Cealie Gunther avoids things that bind—like control-top pantyhose and Gil Thurman. Widowed Cealie thinks she wants to avoid her hunky ex-lover Gil as she travels while trying to rediscover herself. But he opens Cajun restaurants in many cities, and Cealie's not great at avoiding temptation. She tries to avoid family members so she won't become dependant, but since her family is most important, constantly winds up around them. Murder is always involved. Cealie gets drawn in, although as owner of a copyediting agency she knows parts of speech but not weapons. She's dropping by to visit her motherless granddaughter now and watch her become a high school graduate—unless Cealie's interference in the school creates a catastrophe involving someone very special.