Isabel Dalhousie is feeling unsettled. She is adjusting to life as a new mother, alongside her work as a philanthropist and as editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. With a desire to create some space in her busy life, Isabel returns to lending a hand at her niece's delicatessen, where surely the most taxing duty is the preparation of sandwiches. It is not long before Isabel's helpful nature draws her into her customers' problems, specifically that of self-proclaimed matchmaker, Bea Shannon. Bea has staged a potentially dangerous liaison involving enigmatic plastic surgeon, Tony MacUspaig, who may not be quite who he claims to be - and Isabel's help is required in getting to the truth of the matter. But even she is not immune to misunderstandings, or the neurotic fantasies that arise from keeping secrets...