When district nurse Mary Grey and her lover Harriet accept an invitation to visit the latter's godmother in the beautiful Lake District, they're hoping for a relaxing outing. But from the very start, they find themselves pulled into a web of intrigue, resentments, deceit, and violent passions.

Young newlywed Rachel Florry is found on the lawn with her skull smashed in and there's no shortage of suspects. From the girl whose fiancée Rachel stole, to a sinister vagrant, to Rachel's own mystery lover.

Mary calls on her old friend and partner, private detective Franz Shaefer to come down to Bayard Lodge and help solve the case. But as they unearth buried secrets and hidden agendas, they themselves are at risk.