Mr. Horace Harvey had mounds of money he wanted to give away. But the giving was over the day he was found dead with a wad of bills stuffed in his mouth, and a money belt wrapped around his neck. Despite a home life that is not exactly calm, Susan Henshaw has the time to conclude that the prime murder suspect is innocent, but that observation only leads her to more questions. One thing is clear, though. All sorts of sordid activities are going on in the private lives of Hancock's most civic-minded citizens. And at least one of them had reason to kill....
When a former citizen of Hancock, Connecticut, returns to town to decide on which civic group to leave his millions, he's murdered. Naturally Susan Henshaw investigates, as she always does. But this time, her friend, the chief of police, is out of town. Will that stop her from findng out what happened?
Every organization is courting Mr. Harvey, hoping their group will the be the one to get his approval and his money. Did the FOPP, Friends of Potted Plants really do it, or how about PAP, People are Parks. Or maybe it is HEC, Hancock Environment Committee. But wait, there is also QUIET and HOPE to consider. Will Susan Henshaw get buried in alphabet soup, or will she find the killer?