The body is found abandoned on the A35 in Dorset – tied to a chair, stag antlers on his head. It's Jim Tiernan, landlord of Fleetcombe’s The White Hart pub – and now a murder victim. Newly arrived DS Nicola Bridge has her work cut out.

Fleetcombe is a picture-postcard village. Murder is the last thing on anyone’s mind. Except that here Nicola finds whispers, rumours, resentments and lie after lie.

Because the smaller the village, the darker its hidden secrets . . .