Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton has enough problems on her hands. Not only is she struggling to upkeep the sprawling Manor House and vast acres she inherited, but she must also take care of her numerous tenants while coping with the inconveniences and sacrifices of wartime England. Fortunately, Sitting Marsh is far removed from the bombing going on in London and other cities. That doesn't mean that peace prevails in the tiny village, however. There's the handsome American major who takes over the Manor House for officers' quarters, and the group of belligerent housewives determined to take on the German invaders, not to mention a murder or two...

American servicemen billeted near the village of Sitting Marsh are dropping like flies; four of them dead already. All had spent their last night in the local pub, all were red-headed, and all were poisoned. Tortured by her forbidden feelings for Major Earl Monroe, Elizabeth welcomes the distraction of yet another mystery, but she has to work fast—before another Yank dies on English soil.