Murder, blackmail, fraud - life in the idyllic English countryside isn't that idyllic after all, or so Chief Inspector Hilary Heart discovers when she's called in to investigate following an unexplained death. Although it's 1998 - a new century on the horizon - picture-perfect Dinglederry village has stayed firmly in the past, the only ripples caused by the arrival of a handful of newcomers. But with a trail that leads again and again to London, and a body count that continues to rise, the Chief Inspector begins to wonder how far those ripples spread. The deeper she digs, the more lies she uncovers. Someone is in too deep and they'll stop at nothing to save themselves - even if it means killing her.