When a young woman is found murdered in an ancient London cemetery, Inspector Thomas Linley is forced to interrupt his indefinite leave and return to Scotland Yard. The team of detectives, who have worked with him for many years, does not trust their new boss, the self-confident and ambitious Isabella Ardery, who cannot establish contact with her subordinates. The investigation into this murder is difficult from the very beginning, because any facts contradicting Ardery's version are rejected, and the personal initiative of the detectives is suppressed. Particularly affected by this is Sergeant Barbara Havers, who, as always, has her own version. She is convinced that traces of the killer should be looked for in the British New Forest nature reserve, from where the murdered woman came to London. Barbara has no idea that soon she and Lynley will discover a terrible secret that will shock many...