A mysterious fire at a Somerset manor house leads to a complex and intriguing case for Bristol detective David Vogel.

When Sir John Fairbrother, head of one of the world's biggest private banks, burns to death, along with his nurse, in a catastrophic fire at his Somerset manor house, Detective Inspector David Vogel finds himself dealing with a complex and mystifying sequence of events. If arson was involved, as Vogel believes, the obvious suspect is Sir John's chauffeur/gardener, George Grey . but is he guilty?

Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and bring those responsible for the fire and two further suspicious deaths to justice, Vogel uncovers a tangled web of intrigue which exceeds anything he at first imagined.