Georgie Sinclair’s husband has walked out and work is getting her down. So when she spots Mrs Shapiro, an eccentric old neighbour, rummaging through her skip in the middle of the night, it’s just the distraction she needs. And although they mistrust each other at first, a firm friendship is formed.

Then Mrs Shapiro is admitted to hospital and, to Georgie’s surprise, she is named as her next of kin. As Georgie steps in to help her new friend, she finds herself unravelling a mystery that takes her from Highbury to wartime Europe to the Middle East, and learning a bit about DIY along the way.