Once a successful London surgeon, Dr. Martin Ellingham is now a general practitioner in the idyllic Cornish fishing village of Portwenn, where he is every bit as eccentric as the villagers he serves.

Cripples Day at Shrewsbury attracts a multitude of pilgrims and soon a body appears in a leather sack in the middle of the pilgrims. Brother Cadfael sets out to discover how and why the man was killed.

With Janice's departure, Martin and Louisa need to find a day care for James, and they settle on Portwenn Tots. Ruth considers selling her farm, and Mrs. Tishell's pharmacy receives a new blood-pressure monitor.