Margery Blandon was always a principled woman who found guidance from the wisdom of desktop calendars. She lived quietly in Gold Street, Brunswick for sixty years until events drove her to the 43rd floor of the Tropic Hotel. As she waits for the crowds in the atrium far below to disperse, she contemplates what went wrong. Her best friend kept an astonishing secret from her, and she can't trust the home help. It's possible her firstborn son has betrayed her, that her second son might have committed a crime, and her only daughter is trying to kill her. Even worse, it seems Margery's life-long neighbour and enemy - now demented - always knew the truth...