A locked-door murder. The victim: a Hammersmith primary school teacher admired by pupils, parents and her pet spaniel... or so she believed. Her recent erratic behaviour produced more than one enemy. Ciara Gallen, an appearance-obsessed newspaper columnist and mother of one of her pupils, used to being the one passing judgement. Colleagues with secrets. Neighbours with grudges of their own. A dog deserving a bit more attention.

DI Esi Owusu and DS Pawel Krol, overwhelmed with the bizarre case of a gentle but paranoid teacher found locked inside her own home with a knife buried in her chest, call in good friend and eccentric associate, Private Detective Lance Pomegranate, to assist with the baffling mystery. But Australian Lance's unyielding preference to live barefoot and irreverence towards those who challenge him for it, elevate the prim and opinionated Ciara Gallen to more than just a suspect; now, she's a determined adversary, with the power of the press behind her. Ciara is all too willing to vilify Lance and his police allies in print, unless they can provide a more satisfying story for her ovine readers by solving the locked-room mystery and identifying the teacher's killer.

To save their reputations and Lance's career, the investigating trio face both the clock and court of public opinion. Meanwhile, the killer lurks in their midst, watching.