The peace of the seemingly idyllic village of Badger's Drift is shattered by the inexplicable murder of an old lady, Emily Simpson, found dead in her cottage after witnessing something unsettling in the woods. Her old friend, Lucy Bellringer, is convinced that Emily's death was not from natural causes. She persuades Chief Investigator Barnaby and Detective Sergeant Troy of Causton CID to look into the matter and then hunt down the killer. Their investigation uncovers a web of sinister events, some long buried in the past.