This story is set in a publishing firm, the Peverell Press Chairman, Henry Peverell has just died, his French partner Jean-Philippe Etienne, has retired and Etienne's ruthless son Gerard has taken over as chairman and managing director He has enemies a discarded mistress, a humiliated author, his colleagues and threatened members of his staff When he is found dead on the premises, his body desecrated, there is no shortage of suspects