The political elite attends a charity ball at the residence of Humphrey Cardiff. His widowed daughter, Delores, flirts with all the men, enraging their wives. Amidst the political plotting of Marc Edwards and his associates, Delores is found dead, with one of her suitors standing over the body. Marc controversially decides to defend him, while Cobb races to find the truth behind her untimely death Don Gutteridge was born in Sarnia, Ontario and raised in the nearby village of Point Edward. He is the author of twenty-two novels, including the twelve-volume Marc Edwards mysteries. He has published forty books of poetry, one of which, Coppermine, was short-listed for the Governor Generals Award. He is a retired professor, living in London, Ontario.