Harriet is an attractive, 31-year-old mystery novelist. Three years earlier, she was forced to stand trial for the murder of her lover, and Wimsey was instrumental in proving her innocence. Harriet is still reeling from the scandal that attaches to her name. When Wimsey proposes matrimony, she declines, though he continues to ask for her hand on a periodic basis. In addition to being a fiction author, Harriet is a serious scholar and feels most at home at Oxford University. Her devotion to her college makes her undertake the task of discovering who is sending poison-pen letters to her colleagues. As a result of her investigation, Harriet learns something about herself and finally consents to marry Wimsey. 

Wimsey is a 45-year-old aristocrat who amuses himself by solving mysteries as an amateur detective when he isn’t working on special assignment for the Foreign Office. His brilliant analytical skills have brought him great success in his chosen field. After meeting Harriet during her murder trial, he falls instantly in love with her because he considers her to be his intellectual equal. Despite Harriet’s repeated rejection of his proposals, he still has hopes of marrying her.