When a woman drowns on the grounds of a royal estate, Sergeant Keen Dunliffe of the city of Leeds, England, hopes it’s a case of a simple accident. But when the woman turns out to be a historian specializing in English royalty who was attending a university conference, it becomes a public relations nightmare. The mystery deepens as two high ranking government officials become interested in the case but are unable to tell him why. Dunliffe, known for his bad temper and rebelliousness, is likely to see trouble before his investigation is finished.