Restaurant owner Pearl Nolan discovers the body of her friend and oyster supplier chained to the anchor of his ship. The police, led by out-of-towner Chief Inspector Mike McGuire, believe it was an accident, but Pearl, who also runs a private detective agency, suspects foul play.

When an English Civil War re-enactment ends in tragedy, Pearl and Mike find themselves on opposing sides. Their inquiries reveal a community bitterly divided by the memory of a miner's strike and the possibility that there is more to the accident than first meets the eye.