Christopher Townsend, Development Officer of Bartlemas College, was reportedly drunk when he plunged from the top of the Tower of Grace. His tragic death does, however, lead to an offer of work for novelist Kate Ivory - finishing Townsend's preparations for the 'Gender and Genre' study fortnight. Kate is doing Bartlemas a favour by taking his place - so why do her new colleagues seem so hostile towards her? And who left the note on one of Christopher's files which reads CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT? When Kate receives some threatening messages of her own, she begins to wonder if Christopher's death was an accident after all. Perhaps he had stumbled on to something he shouldn't have. And perhaps, by stepping into his shoes, Kate has now put her own life in terrible danger...