The church is packed for the funeral of self-made business tycoon Simon Waterford. But are any of the throng truly there to mourn the departed? He had been loved, certainly, by many, especially the string of attractive young women with whom he had children. One of them even became his wife. But when he returned unconditional devotion with cruelty and disdain, the feelings of his lovers inevitably turned to hatred. Or is the reality more complicated than that? Take nothing for granted as Susie Clinkard peels away layer upon layer, delving into the past to uncover the truth about Simon and the lives he devastated. How did a fit, healthy, wealthy man come to be lying in his coffin at the age of fifty? Does one of the women at his funeral know more about his death than she dares to let on? The startling revelations continue to the very end in this fast-paced story of avarice, intrigue, pain and passion.