In wake of the events of A Series of Misdeeds, Joanna has resolved to stay out of trouble and out of the room at the top of the stairs. Yet even the best of intentions so often go amiss, and the plight of a coworker soon lands Joanna in the hot water she so wanted to avoid. Now that it is clear to Ewan Armistead that his newest hire is not one to be easily brought into line, he reaches for more creative means of influencing her. As his designs play out, Joanna will find herself in the midst of an experience that fingers the line between fantasy and nightmare. On the other side of it, humiliated and aroused, Joanna will pick up the pieces and begin to come to terms with her true position and the feelings she has been denying.