When ruthless Cornelius Barton is appointed Head of Department at Tadcaster University, nobody's job is safe. The motives for getting rid of him seem clear. And who is writing the poison pen letters that disclose so much about the love lives of Jenny Briscoe and Chris Banks? As DI Alan Wolfe and his team uncover more personal passions and obsessions, they enlist the help of forensic psychologist, Marina Banting. Together, they gradually unearth motives for murder that no one could have imagined.