One of the most beloved names in the cozy mystery market, Dorothy Cannell has been credited with originating the genre. In this classic display of her talents she tells the story of Tessa Fields, a young orphan determined to uncover her true origins. With the help of the Misses Tramwells, two endearing elderly ladies, and the reluctant assistance of her secret love, Harry Harkness, Tessa hits upon a scheme that finds her feigning amnesia and recovering in the Tramwells's ancestral home. But it isn't long before Tessa smells a rat. Why does the butler creep around in his socks, and what was he doing in her closet? How does the coquettish maid know all about Tessa -- and even more about Harry? And why are these little old ladies so fiendishly good at cards?

It soon becomes apparent that the game being played out in this proper English town isn't poker or whist -- it's murder. And with the deck stacked against her, Tessa must unmask the perpetrator before she's dealt a fatal hand.