The Dales detective Agency's latest assignment appears to be an open-and-shut case. Hired by a local solicitor to find a death certificate for a young woman who died over twenty years ago, Samson O'Brien is about to find out that things in Bruncliffe are rarely that straightforward. Particularly when the solicitor insists that Delilah Metcalfe, with her wealth of local knowledge, works alongside Samson on this sensitive investigation.

Delilah is eager to help. At the very least, the case will take her mind off the looming custody battle for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and the threat of the bank foreclosing on her struggling Dales Dating Agency.

As Samson and Delilah begin their inquiries, they soon become embroiled in a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades. But in uncovering the truth have they exposed secrets that some would prefer remained buried?