In order to come to terms with the death of a close friend, Kate Ivory has escaped Oxford and found sanctuary in a friend's cottage a few miles away. Here, in the peace of the countryside, she hopes to find inspiration for her next novel. However, shortly after Kate's arrival at the cottage, her gardener, Donna, is found dead in mysterious circumstances and Kate is reluctantly drawn into an investigation. Unconvinced by the official police verdict, she starts to uncover the feuds and illegal goings-on behind the genteel village facades. There is plenty of gossip, and everyone has a theory about Donna's death, but Kate must relinquish her exile and return to Oxford before she can discover the truth.