In a gentle village on the Scottish borders, Roland Fox, a young aspiring writer, moves in next door to the equally young and attractive Jane Highsmith, a newly qualified veterinary surgeon. But the growing attraction between them is muted by the mystery surrounding the recent death of her much beloved great-grandfather - who apparently fell off a narrow bridge into a stream. In true small village fashion, everyone seems to know each other's business, and it is no surprise that the neighbours have noticed the growing bond between Jane and Roland, but some have remarked with disquiet on the investigations that these two amateurs seem to be making into the supposedly accidental death. Add to the mix, a sibling rivalry between Jane and her older sister Violet, who has poached and subsequently married Jane's ex-boyfriend; and the initially unhelpful remarks of a distant relative; plus the local police inspector turning a blind eye to one or two of Jane's distinctly illegal, but acceptably rural, activities, and there are all the ingredients present for a traditional village mystery - in true Gerald Hammond style and with his usual Scottish flavour.