Francesca Cargill is saddened by the unhappiness she sees around her and resolves to do what she can to mend sundered hearts and bring people together, not least her sister, Emmeline, and her fiancé, Jerry Harrison, a writer of detective stories. Determined to make this as difficult as possible are the local policeman and a drippy female novelist, who meet each other in circumstances which surprise them both. The story takes place in the little village of Linton Musgrove, the setting for the author's previous novel, This Congregation Here Present, as well as some of the short stories in Bishop To Pawn