When Antonia Halliday is found dead in a barn, her head and neck slashed with an old-fashioned sickle, Paget and Tregalles attend the scene. The victim is from Bromley Manor, the country home of a highly respected family with links to the chief constable, and Chief Superintendent Brock warns Paget to tread carefully. With all the evidence drawing Paget back to the manor, he soon finds himself at odds with his superiors - and the killer is not quite finished yet.