England, 1954. Young, ambitious Luke Fitzwilliam arrives in England from Nigeria, with the promise of a job in Whitehall. On the train to London, he meets the elderly Miss Pinkerton, who confides in him that there is a killer on the loose in her quiet village of Wychwood-Under-Ashe. The locals believe that a recent string of deaths are accidents, but she suspects otherwise. When Miss Pinkerton is struck down on her way to Scotland Yard, Fitzwilliam finds himself compelled to continue what she started. With her dying words ringing in his ears, he sets off for the sleepy village of Wychwood, determined to uncover the truth.

As Fitzwilliam infiltrates Wychwood’s high society he uncovers the resentments and jealousies lying just below the surface of the English pleasantries. When he witnesses a shocking death that he is powerless to prevent, he’s newly convinced that there is something more sinister at play. He finds himself making an unlikely alliance with Bridget, who is engaged to be married to local man-of-standing, Lord Whitfield. Whilst Fitzwilliam scrambles to pair suspect with motive, Wychwood suffers two more deaths. As tensions rise, Bridget makes an explosive confession to Fitzwilliam that leaves both of their futures hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, the discovery of a new piece of evidence blows the case wide open and forces Fitzwilliam to re-examine everything. With time running out, and suddenly unsure of who he can trust, will Fitzwilliam be able to stop the killer before it’s too late?