Joan lives with her mother and sister, and works nights at a supermarket stacking shelves, where Mr Evans, the ghastly manager, forces himself on his female staff, who need their jobs too badly to complain. With the exception of Carol, her friend, Joan s colleagues think her stupid because she has trouble reading, and have nicknamed her Dozey Joan . When finally Mr Evans gets his comeuppance, and a kindly new manager is installed, life seems to be improving, but then something appalling happens. Joan is kidnapped by a mentally ill stranger, who has made her the heroine of his bizarre fantasies. Despite being traumatised and maimed, Joan is downtrodden enough to be flattered by Nicholas Parry s attentions. He believes she is an Empress and he her servant. Recovering in hospital from her ordeal, with Parry locked away, Joan finds herself defending him to the police, believing that he hadn t really meant to harm her - a point of view that those around her find hard to comprehend. However, Nicholas Parry has an ally, and when Joan receives a piece of hate mail, she realises that this person is out for revenge. The trouble is, will anyone believe Dozey Joan?
