Mathias is under pressure. Meg Mathias, his wife, has turned up in Aberystwyth, and he's under investigation by the IPCC following the death of Mari Davies. When a bus driver's body is found shot on an isolated mountainside, the investigation provides a welcome escape for DCI Mathias.

The murder of a local dignitary and barrister leads to the uncovering of a tragic story of love and loss fuelled by distrust and suspicion in the depths of the Hinterland.