Whilst recovering from the car accident that so nearly cost him his life, Rudolph Riley is surprisingly asked to be a judge for the local literary festival’s Poison Pen Award. But on the eve of the opening ceremony, a body is discovered floating in a local river… a body that has a direct connection with the festival.

Pulled off sick-leave and light duties by the new chief constable, Riley is literally soon up to his eyes in a number of gruesome murders, which all appear to be connected to literary award… and if all that isn’t sufficient to give the inspector a relapse, his brother is paid a surprise visit by an uninvited guest who is trying to evade past ghosts and atone for previous mistakes.

Meanwhile, Mrs Thomas’ hopes that a well-earned holiday in Australia would put Sergeant Thomas out of reach of Riley’s machinations, go completely awry, as he’s embroiled in the investigation and is asked to solve a cold case that might throw some light on the recent murder.

Then just when Riley thinks he’s reached the final page of the mystery and revealed all, an unexpected visitor makes an appearance at the farm… and it’s one that will result in yet another death. But this is Hambleton Farm, where past ghosts are always present and the future is unknown…