Following a snowstorm at Boardham College, a freak snowboarding accident uncovers the frozen corpse of one of Boardham's less loved professors. Did he die by accident or by design? In this prequel to The Trouble on the Terrace, Professor Orr meets Detective Abel Shea for the first time. Together, they tackle a mystery involving the usual assortment of red herrings - or are they rather past transgressions come home to roost? In spite of mixed metaphors and some dangerous adversaries, Orr and Shea persist in uncovering the surprising truth.