ðə nˈɑːvəl, lˈɑːɹdʒli tˈoʊld ɪn flˈæʃbæks, fˈɑːloʊz ɡɹˈeɪəm "ɡɹˈeɪ" lˈænsɛtən, ɐ ɹˈaɪɾɚɹ ɪnvˈɑːlvd wɪð ɐ wˈʊmən nˈeɪmd dɹuːsˈɪlə bɹˈaʊn hˌuː ˈæsks hˌɪm tə kˈɪl hɜː wˈɛlθi hˈʌsbənd.
The novel, largely told in flashbacks, follows Graham "Gray" Lanceton, a writer involved with a woman named Drusilla Browne who asks him to kill her wealthy husband.