Spencer Tait is looking forward to reading 'A Whim of Fate', the latest mystery story from the pen of John Parver. Meanwhile, his friend Claude is disturbed by the discovery of a terrible tragedy in his family's past. But when Claude tells Tait of his recent discoveries, his friend is astonished - for the plot of Parver's new novel is exactly the same in every detail as that of Claude's tragic family history. Could this be a coincidence? Or is there a more sinister connection? To find out, the two friends will have to revisit a crime of passion that took place nearly half a decade ago...