Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner Sergeant Barbara Havers investigate a variety of murder cases.

Lynley and Havers are called to a tranquil Lancashire village to investigate the poisoning of the vicar, Robin Sage.

An avant-garde play is being read and during the reading, the playwright is murdered. However, the murder is not as easily solved as one might think.

When Lynley returns to his ancestral estate in Cornwall to celebrate his recent engagement to Helen, a brutal murder on the grounds sheds new light on the Inspector and his surprisingly dysfunctional family.

Lynley and Havers question Tessa, who paints a disturbing picture of life with William. To fill in the missing pieces, Lynley and Havers begin to search for Roberta's sister, Gillian. Strangely, opinions about her vary dramatically from one person to the next.

The body of cricket star, Kenneth Fleming, is found in a burnt out house and seems to be the victim of an arson attack. It emerges that Kenneth has three women in his life - his lifelong patron and mentor, Miriam Whitelaw, his married lover, Gabriella Patten and his childhood sweetheart and devoted wife Jeannie.