How could an itinerant roof-thatcher make a deadly enemy in just one week in a quiet village? And what could drive a do-it-yourself poet to violent action? This collection of stories mixes serious crime with less fatal episodes - a tangle of accidents; flooding in Looe; a dentist improvises home security. Deception in both World Wars. Finally, for light relief, we consider alternative election outcomes; the dangers of robbing a disorganised vet; and the havoc that alert inmates can bring to a sleepy retirement home. A disparate collection of stories: eclectic, frantic and comic.