A stranger is brutally murdered in Tufton Magna library. The pathologist says the man survived a previous bomb blast. DCI Johnny Benedetti and his team need to unravel the mystery of his identity before they can tackle the question of who did it. The strange reticence of the librarian, Bea Caudwell, makes her a prime suspect, but is she in fear for her own life or is she protecting someone?A second murder lends urgency to the search to find the killer. When the murderer is finally arrested, Johnny sustains life changing injuries. Will he be able to return to the job he loves?