Caroline Bryce came from the top of the social register in the tranquil town of Treen. So it was quite a scandal when her body was dragged from the bottom of the river.
As Superintendent Wycliffe investigates, he is faced with a number of questions: who would want to kill the beautiful Mrs Bryce? Was it a lover's quarrel? Or a family feud? Or a long-held resentment which had suddenly exploded in a moment of madness?
As Wycliffe begins to unravel an intricate tangle of love and hate, he finds himself on the trail of a psychotic killer who feels no guilt - and will not hesitate to strike again...