DSI William Lorimer never expected that the next time he'd visit the Isle of Mull - where he and his wife, Maggie, have often wandered its windswept coasts and picturesque lochs - it would be for the funeral of an old friend. Mary Grant's sudden heart attack was a shock to the small community on the island, but Lorimer has no reason to suspect foul play, until he is approached at the funeral by one of Mary's closest friends.

She is convinced there was more to Mary's death than meets the eye. And when she, too, dies in a sudden accident, Lorimer finds himself investigating a double murder. Mull is a place of spectacular beauty and characterful towns, but Lorimer knows that even here old secrets can resurface, resentments can run deep, and evil can lurk undetected.