The naked body of a young woman was found lying in the river Dart on Dartmoor. Her face had been destroyed; her jewellery had been removed, with the exception of one earring. There was no clue as to her identity. DCI Dexter Smalacombe and his sergeant began their investigations at a nearby pub and picked up on local gossip. They discovered that a couple, both famous actors, had moved into the manor house and held wild parties. This gave the detectives a lead. This was followed by a request for information on a missing woman, which gave them a break through. The young woman's murderer was quickly identified but then there was a second murder. It was clearly connected with the first but it uncovered a host of complex issues. They found disputes between landowners, blackmail, drug habits, prostitution, connections with a London thug and people who were not who they pretended to be. All characters, and the hamlet of Longtor, are fictional.