It is 1740; George II is on the throne. In the town of Preston a grim discovery is made: a Squire"s wife, Dolores Brockletower, lies in the woods above her home, Garlick Hall, her throat brutally slashed. Coroner Titus Cragg is requested to investigate the matter. Cragg finds the Brockletower household awash with rumour and suspicion. He enlists the help of his astute young friend, Doctor Luke Fidelis, to throw light on the case. In their first gripping investigation, Cragg and Fidelis are faced with the superstition of witnesses, obstruction by local officials, and denunciations from the Squire himself.