When a collection of rare and valuable volumes is stolen from a West London yoga ashram, its leaders turn to Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to recover them—a request that’s a little awkward, as they’ve previously booted her out for dealing weed to the other students.

But once Cordelia takes the job, she finds her quest for the missing paperbacks turning into a murder hunt as those associated with the ashram can’t seem to avoid violent death—whether bludgeoned with a whisky bottle or poisoned by an admittedly delicious curry. Can she work out who the killer is and bring them to justice before she ends up as the next victim?