The ladies of the Seekers Hair Fashions, a small suburban salon near Wellington, New Zealand, are a tight-knit group. Sue Knovac, the owner, gets along very well with Rona, her senior stylist, and Lucy, her apprentice. The clients range from amusing to downright rude, but the person who has earned the top spot on their most-hated list is not a client but Frank Morton, their horrible landlord.

Hes a nasty piece of work, and his treatment of his long-suffering wife, May, can only be described as abominable. Sue, Rona, and Lucy feel sorry for May, so they set out to help her boost her self-esteem with a makeover and a new outlook on life. Mays refreshed new look seems to be brightening her attitude, and a neighbour persuades her to get her tarot reading done. Things are really looking up for Mayuntil she disappears.

Did she leave of her own accordor did Frank have something to do with it? Their suspicions are further fuelled by Franks infuriatingly cavalier attitudeand by the appearance of his new lady friend. The emergence of some surprising new information casts the whole investigation in a new light, and they race to determine what has happenedbefore its too late.