Anna Lee's first assignment at her new job in a private security firm, Brierly Detective Agency, is to find a missing girl, Thea Hahn. A gifted sixteen-year-old, she has been attending a tutorial college in Bloomsbury, prior to going up to Cambridge. Anna looks up one of Thea's tutors, John Tulloch, only to be told by his young son Sam that his father is dead. Back at her flat, Anna's on-off boyfriend Quex has re-appeared.

Brierly Security is engaged by a Mr and Mrs Jackson to find their missing daughter, Deirdre. Anna tracks down the girl's ex-boyfriend Simon, who leads her to the wedding video company where Deirdre ("Dee") works. Anna meets Dee who seems self-assured and has no desire to meet her parents. Dee is next found dead in her car. Mr Jackson cannot agree with the police that the cause of death was an accident. Anna believes Dee's former boss Fred Slinger may hold the key to the mystery.

A mysterious figure on a motorbike is searching for a man called Eddie Marsham. A man called Thurman commissions Brierly Security also to find Marsham. While Anna searches for Marsham, she is followed by Kilshaw. Meanwhile, Anna develops a relationship with Peter, a vet who is separated from his wife.

The Notting Hill Carnival Committee receive notes threatening violence unless the Carnival is cancelled. There is speculation that the man behind the threats is Adrian Wesley, a prominent businessman. Wesley is campaigning for the running of the Carnival to be taken out of the hands of the "do-gooders" and given to his marketing company. He also suspects his wife is having an affair and wants proof. Two days before the event, a bomb explodes. No one is hurt, but the Carnival route has to be changed to avoid the damaged street. Meanwhile, Beryl is kidnapped.

Anna is hired by an old friend, Laura Jones. Anna has to identify the woman who is having an affair with Laura's husband, Dominic. Dominic Jones is a top chef who jointly owns a restaurant with Laura's father. Anna traces the woman – an actress called Mary Vincent. Mary is also the mistress of Laura's father, David Lambert.

Dawn Blake, a young pop singer, is found dead. A man called Mike Trevor asks Brierly's to investigate. He claims Dawn's death was not suicide, but murder. He says the man responsible is William Gilmore, the owner of Wreck Records, Dawn's label. Anna initially finds circumstantial evidence to support Trevor's theory. However, the more she knows of Gilmore, the more she likes him. Bernie and Stevie find evidence that seems strongly to implicate Gilmore but Anna refuses to believe it. Brierly accuses her of letting her emotions cloud her judgement and, after a furious row, she resigns.