It seemed an innocent request: would widowed Ellie Quicke visit a man whose dog died in an accident? The dog's master - a powerful but unpleasant businessman - believes he was the intended target, and that an old enemy is responsible. Feuding financiers are bad news not only for the City where jobs are at stake, but also for Ellie, who can't fill in a tax return without help. The feisty widow already has more than enough to cope with. Aunt Drusilla's health is failing, her bullying daughter Diana is in financial crisis, and her architect cousin Roy mixed up in one of the tycoon's shadier deals - which happens to threaten the future of the parish. Ellie discovers the tycoon has made more enemies than the Government, though not all of them are as helpless as they seem. Standing up for herself and other victims of the financier, Ellie waltzes straight into the firing line.