Badger's Drift - a tranquil English village, home to Miss Emily Simpson, a kindly, well-liked spinster. But when poor Miss Simpson takes a gentle stroll in the woods near her home one day and sees something among the trees that she was never meant to see, her peaceful existence is brought to an abrupt end. To most, Miss Simpson's death looks natural enough, but her old friend Miss Lucy Bellringer is unconvinced and calls on Chief Inspector Barnaby for help. Sure enough, as he investigates, a previously unseen seamy side to Badger's Drift is revealed - one where old rivalries, old loves and new scandals are rife. And then there's a second, horrifically gruesome killing...