A dinner party at an English mansion with some stuffy, not-very-close friends is not exactly Jude's cup of tea—but the practically mummified torso of a woman found in the cellar is right up her alley. There is no way of knowing how long the dead body has been there, or even who it once was. Intrigued by this new mystery, Jude elicits the help of her reluctant neighbor, Carole, to help solve the case. And perhaps in the process she can snap Carole out of her growing depression, the result of a recently failed relationship. Their detective work soon uncovers that Pelling House's previous owners include two divorced couples who harbor a lot of resentment—and Jude and Carole suspect that they may be harboring some dark secrets as well. Once again, the two middle-aged women from Fethering find themselves embroiled in a puzzling whodunit.