The book opens with the police attending a sheltered accommodation bungalow in response to concerned neighbours reporting the yowling of many of an elderly occupant's cats. They are confronted by a horrific murder scene where the frail old woman has been stabbed many, many times on her bed surrounded by her distressed and starving pets. The team of detectives, having been summoned, followed closely by their forensic colleagues, spring into action, but there seems to be no real clues or help when they canvass the neighbours. Nothing suspicious had been noticed and no visitors had been seen. However, after 48 hours, the forensic report produced proof positive as to the identity of the killer from blood and partial fingerprints, as well as the full fingerprints found on the knife left behind in the victim's body. Forensics even came up with the name and address of the suspected murderer... a petty burglar and well known to the local police force.