There is surely nothing more peaceful than the Yorkshire
Moors in autumn, or so Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan
Kincaid supposes when he takes on the unlikely role of
time-share holder at stately Followdale House in northern
England. Newly promoted, weary from overwork, Kincaid opts
for a holiday "incognito," relaxing with just a few good
books. Some of his fellow guests have been to the time-
share hotel before. Others are newcomers. One is a killer.
Kincaid's anonymity comes to an abrupt end when a new
acquaintance is found murdered in the hotel's whirlpool
bath. It's convenient that a Scotland Yard man should be
on the scene, but not so serendipitous for Kincaid. With
help from his clever, down-to-earth Sergeant, Gemma James,
Kincaid searches for a hidden connection between victim
and suspects. Could the murderer be Cassie Whitlake, the
provocative time-share manager with a unique social-
climbing agenda? Or one of the MacKenzie sisters,
eccentric spinsters on holiday from their goat farm in
Dedham Vale? Or Graham Frazer, the brash insurance
salesman who is accompanied by his unhappy fifteen-year-
old daughter? Or does one of the other guests or staff
have a secret worth killing for? Kincaid, at odds with the
local officer in charge of the case, also struggles with
his developing friendship with the intriguing scientist
Hannah Alcock. When the killer strikes again, Kincaid and
Gemma must pool their knowledge as together they move
toward a startling confrontation with the murderer.