British national Robert Crosbie has operated a rubber plantation outside of Singapore for seven years, which both he and his wife of ten years Leslie Crosbie realize has been a sacrifice for her in needing to live away from "civilization". What Robert does not know is that Leslie has had a long term affair with a family friend, Geoffrey Hammond, with who she is in love, that love bordering on obsession. Conversely, Geoffrey is tiring of her, he now living with a biracial English/Chinese woman, about who he is up front with Leslie that he would choose over her. When Geoffrey is found shot to death in the Crosbie house, Leslie is placed on trial for murder. She is expected to be acquitted based on her defense that she killed him in self defense in his unrequited love for her, he who she had not seen in months and who showed up at the house unexpectedly the night she shot him. What may provide Leslie and her defense team some problem is a letter she wrote, which she assumes has been destroyed, and which requested Geoffrey come to the house to see her that night...