When Sally Renshaw receives a solicitor's letter informing her of an unexpected legacy she is surprised, and not a little curious - especially when she is summoned to spend a weekend at Hazeldene Manor, along with five other beneficiaries of the will of the late James Devlin. Accompanied by her aunt Louisa Hooke, recently returned from America where she has acquired quite a reputation as a Private Investigator, Sally sets off for Hazeldene. Unlike her fellow beneficiaries, Sally did not know James Devlin, a well-known recluse, nor does she have any reason to fear his motive in gathering together six people in such a way. But when one of the other guests dies in a cliff-fall, her aunt's professional suspicion is aroused, and the two women embark on a search for the truth behind the story of James Devlin.