Margaret Parsons, a fairly ordinary housewife who, with her water board official husband Ron, has recently moved to Kingsmarkham, is found murdered in a field. Mrs. Parsons led an extremely uneventful life, being a lay preacher, but Inspector Wexford is intrigued when he is looking through her belongings and fine a number of expensive antique books all inscribed 'From Doon to Minna'.Who is Doon?

Although Mr. Parsons is under the impression that he and his wife knew nobody in Kingsmarkham it turns out that Margaret had two school acquaintances in the town, Helen Missal and Fabia Quadrant, who are now both married to very wealthy men. Wexford assumes that one of these men is Doon, and was having an affair with the victim, but appearances can be deceptive

Susan Townsend is a young woman who goes to see her reclusive next-door neighbour and finds him hacked to death. When another body is found on the neighbour's property, Susan gets mixed up in a tale of mayhem and murder, with the killer adding her to his list of future victims.

Part two of two. Susan Townsend finds herself in danger as details of the double killing begin to emerge.