At the heart of this "diabolical plot that Mary Higgins Clark prepares so carefully and executes with such relish" (The New York Times Book Review)， a respected doctor is murdered -- and his beautiful young wife is charged with the crime. Dr. Gary Lasch， prominent Greenwich， Connecticut， doctor and founder of the HMO Remington Health Management， is found dead in his home， his skull crushed by a blow with a heavy bronze sculpture， and his wife， Molly， in bed covered with his blood. It was the Lasches housekeeper， Edna Barry， who made the grisly discovery the morning after Molly s unexpectedly early return from Cape Cod， where she had gone to seclude herself upon learning of her husband s infidelity. As the evidence against Molly grows， her lawyer plea-bargains a manslaughter charge to avoid a murder conviction. Released from prison nearly six years later， Molly reasserts her innocence to reporters， among them an old school friend， Fran Simmons， an investigative reporter and anchor for a true-crime show. Molly convinces Fran to research and produce a program on her husband s death， and as hidden aspects of Gary Lasch s life and the affairs of Remington Health Management come to light， Fran herself becomes a target for murder.