Sheila Malory has her reservations when she is asked to research the history of the village of Mere Barton, as it brings her into close contact with miserly Annie Roberts, a controlling woman who's much resented by her fellow villagers. Not even the local rector has a good word to say about her.
It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace - a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife - is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts...