The story takes place in a small town in England. The police are looking for the murderer of a social worker, and when a second murder occurs, the investigation is intensified. The novel follows the well-known pattern of the police series in which the attention is focused more on the love life of the detectives than on the plot itself; attention is distracted towards people who seem suspicious but who ultimately had nothing to do with the murders. Because of the data given, it is difficult for the reader to arrive at the final resolution of the murders that is explained at the end and is somewhat fanciful. The author seems to be interested in all the characters having motives for crime. The novel is flat, without complications.