When an attack on a Palmerston North fraud detective made headlines in October 1996, the New Zealand public followed the media reports with fascination. They read like a plot of a Hollywood film or detective novel. Poison pen letters, satanic worship, a police hate crime, and a mysterious and violent pyromaniac. But little did the public know that as the truth emerged, the story was going to get far more bizarre, and the police would turn the focus of their investigation on one of their own.

When a hotel housemaid is dumped by her boyfriend, a guileless bellboy leaps into the breach, helping her see past present heartbreak. Yes, life is full of ups and downs but every moment counts.

When Alice is left by her husband, she devises an unusual way to mend her broken heart. But is she making a fool of herself or striking out for a woman's right to shoes?