Alex Summerill was the confidante of thousands of readers of the daily newspaper to which she contributed a weekly advice column. Her warm-hearted counsel went out all over England to distracted lovers, women with faithless husbands, men with faithless wives.

Occasionally she even received letters confessing to serious crimes. Realising what a goldmine her correspondence could be for anyone with the slightest penchant for blackmail, she took exceptional care of the letters sent to her. But it is one letter that doesn''t reach her that precipitates murder . . .

Alex Summerill was the confidante of thousands of readers of the daily newspaper to which she contributed a weekly advice column. Her warm-hearted counsel went out all over England to distracted lovers, women with faithless husbands, men with faithless wives.

Occasionally she even received letters confessing to serious crimes. Realising what a goldmine her correspondence could be for anyone with the slightest penchant for blackmail, she took exceptional care of the letters sent to her. But it is one letter that doesn''t reach her that precipitates murder . . .