Meet Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton. She's the house-rich, money-poor keeper of the Manor—and keeper of the peace.
In WWII England, the quiet village of Sitting Marsh is faced with food rations and fear for loved ones. But Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton, lady of the Manor House, stubbornly insists that life must go on. Sitting Marsh residents depend on Elizabeth to make sure things go smoothly. Which means everything from sorting out gossip to solving the occasional murder.

"Dangerous Enemy on the Loose!" read the newspaper headlines. When a German pilot crash-lands and escapes into the nearby woods, locals are in a panic. But Lady Elizabeth caught a good glimpse of the fellow as he parachuted down, and he seemed nothing more than a harmless, terrified young boy. Until a local girl is found murdered the very day he disappears. Coincidence? The constable thinks not. But Elizabeth suspects everyone's jumping to conclusions. And once again, she's in the thick of a murderous muddle, combing for clues and searching for answers before more trouble ignites.