Isabel's son, Charlie, is now of an age - eighteen months - to have a social life, and so off they go to a birthday party, where, much to Isabel's surprise, she finds Minty Auchterlonie, the high-flying financier she first encountered in The Sunday Philosophy Club. Minty had seemed to Isabel a woman of ruthless ambition, but the question of her integrity had never truly been answered. Now, when Minty takes Isabel into her confidence about the complicated troubles at the investment bank she heads, Isabel finds herself going another round: Is Minty to be trusted? Or is she the perpetrator of an enormous financial fraud? Not that this is the only dilemma facing Isabel: she also crosses swords again with her nemesis Professor Dove, in an argument over plagiarism. Her niece, Cat, of course, has a new, problematic man (a stunt man!) in her life. And Jamie - doting father of Charlie - is still pressing Isabel to solve his dilemma: getting her to marry him.