At the funeral of a thoroughly unpleasant woman, a mysterious older man appears and claims to be...her long-lost son! Needless to say, this complicates the matter of inheritance--and there's a fair amount of money at stake. Meanwhile, Sergeant Wield gets a phone call from a young man who knows a little too much about Wield's ""friend,"" Maurice Eaton. As it turns out, however, this mysterious (and possibly criminal?) young man has something to do with that family feud as well...

Andy Dalziel is sole witness to the murder of his neighbour but has a hard time finding the evidence to convict the man, Philip Swain, he is convinced is guilty.

Pascoe has his life thrown into turmoil when he discovers that his grandfather was shot as deserter during World War One, Dalziel manages to fall for the prime suspect in the case (an animal rights raid on a pharmaceutical company and the discovery of a skeleton in the grounds of the place) he is investigating.