A house exchange in England for the summer sounds like a great idea for the Harper family. The house even comes with a shy marmalade cat named Esmond. Everything seems 'purrrfect'... until someone tries to kill Mr. Harper. Now the genteel village feels sinister and the house is filled with its real owner's secrets. Numerous attempts on Mr. Harper's life convince his wife that they can't pussyfoot around. They need to investigate, starting with what the mousy marmalade cat knows...