Isabel Dalhousie is a wealthy Scottish woman who edits the esteemed Review of Applied Ethics. She loves to ponder the moral ethics of life.
When Isabel attends a concert at Usher Hall she witnesses Mark Fraser fall from a balcony. Upon thinking about the situation she can not decide whether he was pushed or it was an accident. Isabel then pokes her nose where it clearly does not belong and follows the clues to what really happened.
Interwoven into the story is Grace, Isabel's no nonsense housekeeper; Cat her delightful niece whose love life she destroys; Jamie, Cat's ex in whom Isabel is romantically interested in.
There were aspects of this book which were interesting; the mystery and parts which were a complete bore, the philosophy.