Everyone knows that Mary Heaton is a respectable woman. Widowed and retired, she lives a quiet life and keeps herself to herself. But then an anonymous letter arrives, threatening to expose a dark secret from Mary's past.

Many years ago, Mary and her husband Donald made a fortune. They told people their money came from the clothing industry, but the truth was something rather more sordid. Mary and Donald were, for a time, involved in an industry where clothes were very much not required. Eventually they got out, and they thought they'd managed to outrun their former lives. Now, however, someone is determined to reveal the truth about what really happened to them... and to a girl named Sarah Cole.

As Mary sets out to unmask her tormentor, she's forced to face the truth about her past. And when she finally uncovers the identity of the letter-writer, she realizes just how much damage and pain lurks beneath the surface of her respectable life.

A Very Respectable Woman - originally published as The Pornographer's Wife - is the story of a woman who has to face her past indiscretions.