The man from nowhere arrives in the English village of Stargill on a windy October day carrying only a shabby canvas bag. Soon he settles in, gets a job at the sawmill and is considered a friend by the villagers. But one day he discovers the badly battered body of old Ma Perkins - owner of a modest store but reputed to have a bit put away. When it becomes obvious the murderer is a local person, the ranks begin to close against the man from nowhere. And when the first murder is followed by another violent death the village becomes frightened, suspicious and cruel. It wants, at all costs, to protect its own security. 'A charming oddity in the murder line' San Francisco Chronicle