When a Member of Parliament shows up at New Scotland Yard requesting an investigation into the suicide of the son of one of his constituents in the beautiful town of Ludlow, the Assistant Commissioner sees two opportunities in this request. The first is to have an MP owing him a favour, and the second is to get rid of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, whose career at the Met has been hanging by a thread for quite some time. So he assigns Havers to the case and, for good measure, partners her with the one person who shares his wish to see the back of her, Detective Chief Superintendent Isabelle Ardery. But Ardery has her own difficulties. She is not happy to be sent away from London, and as a result is in a rush to return. This causes her to overlook things, important things, and prevents her from uncovering an earlier crime that set everything in motion.

Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and detective sergeant Barbara Havers are approached by a member of Parliament with a request to investigate the supposed suicide of a constituent's son.