When gamekeeper Lawrence Melling takes over at traditional Lakeland sporting estate Shuteham Hall he soon ruffles the feathers of not only elderly Lord Edward Bullingdon and his younger model wife Miranda, but also their adult offspring and fellow estate workers.
Meanwhile local conservationists perceive an existential threat to rare hen harriers nesting on nearby Over Moor. And when Miranda’s jewellery worth a six-figure sum goes missing, and a trusted employee inexplicably disappears, DI Skelgill and his team lift the lid on a plot that simmers with envy, greed, lust and revenge.
Just as a simple solution beckons, in a further diabolical twist it seems the prey turn the tables on the predator. But is it an audacious murder or an innocent accident? Is this the work of a lone actor or a conspiracy? To fathom the mystery Skelgill finds himself in the firing line, whichever way he turns.