Her body was as still as the forest in which she lay. On a beautiful, eerily quiet May morning in a remote corner of Scotland, Natasha Wintour is found brutally bludgeoned to death, the silence of the scene broken only by the ringing of her mobile telephone. DI Marjory Fleming -- tough, respected, and not one to suffer fools gladly -- thrives on the adrenalin and tension that come with heading a major crime investigation. With the discovery of not one, but two murdered corpses on her patch, she's about to feel the pressure like never before. The community of Drumbreck -- a tranquil weekend playground for rich Glaswegians -- is small and close-knit. But the veneer of contented prosperity conceals nasty secrets and daily betrayals. In an atmosphere of distrust, where the finger of suspicion points at many, DI Fleming must watch her own back as she searches for a link between these two most terrible of crimes. Uncovering layer upon layer of intrigue and deceit, Fleming is about to learn that while the dead can't tell lies, the living most certainly can ...