DCI Barnaby and Sgt Scott find themselves investigating the bizarre murder of a young, wealthy landowner, Gareth Heldman, whose body turns up with an unusual stab wound to the thigh.

When one of the bartenders from local village pub, The Maid in Splendour, is found dead in the woods, Barnaby and Scott's investigation uncovers a myriad of secret business dealings, culture clashes, and passionate love affairs.