Dorothy Pengelly lived alone in her remote, dilapidated cottage with only her pets as company. When her old friend, Rose Trevelyan calls round to visit and finds Dorothy dead she is devastated. And when Rose learns that it wasn't a heart attack but a case of suicide her suspicions are immediately roused. Dorothy would never have killed herself - but would anyone else have the motive to murder? Are the valuable paintings hanging on the walls the clue to the mystery? Perhaps Dorothy's avaricious daughter-in-law had a hand in the old lady's death, or maybe it is connected to a visit from a stranger to the local Cornish community earlier in the week? As Rose seeks the truth she begins to realise that some people in this idyllic seaside town have secrets to hide...