In an English county in autumn, when it’s cold and rainy, the body of a murdered young woman is discovered at a derelict chalk quarry site. The police immediately begin an investigation, but soon face a new crime: the leading biology specialist is killed in the forensic laboratory. The difficulty is that the suspects are only the laboratory staff—so the culprit must have known how to cover their tracks and confuse the investigation.
This high-profile case draws the attention of the London police, and Scotland Yard sends experienced commander Dalgliesh to help the local investigators.