Castlemere is under siege. Someone is holding the town to ransom - to the tune of one million pounds. And if this demand is not met, no one will be safe from the frightening events he has in store. With the casualty rate rising, the pressure is on Detective Superintendent Frank Shapiro to uncover the blackmailer. But this is a clever man; finding him in time may prove impossible . . .Meanwhile Detective Inspector Liz Graham's gentle art teacher husband comes under suspicion and the deserted boat belonging to her sergeant, Cal Donovan is discovered near the tiny village of East Beckham, a flyspeck on the map where nothing and no one is quite what they seem . . .