When the circus arrives in Edinburgh, Rose McQuinn is delighted. However, the much anticipated festivities are overshadowed by a curious set of crimes, involving the murder of a clerk during a bank robbery and, within hours of each other, the identical suicides of two young women. Are these deaths as straightforward as the police claim or could they all be linked to one killer? The evidence leads her from suspect to suspect but Rose still cannot prove conclusively who the real culprit is. She confides in her new-found friend – young, rich and beautiful Elma Rice – but when there is a murderous attack on Elma's husband, Rose must discover what vital clue she has overlooked before she becomes the killer's next victim.
