Adam Dalgliesh, el detective poeta creado por P.D. James, necesita unas vacaciones. Acaba de publicar su ultimo poemario y esta cansado de investigar homicidios, asi que decide tomarse un respiro fuera de Londres. Sin embargo, el destino elegido no es el mas apacible: esta situado en las costas de Norfolk, el area de accion de un asesino en serie que ha matado ya a cuatro mujeres. Dalgliesh, aunque a reganadientes, no tendra mas remedio que desenmaranar el entramado de intrigas y deseos que ha convertido toda la region en un infierno criminal. / Commander Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard has just published a new book of poems and has taken a brief respite from publicity on the remote Larksoken headland on the Norfolk coast in a converted windmill left to him by his aunt. But he cannot so easily escape murder. A psychotic strangler of young women is at large in Norfolk, and getting nearer to Larksoken with every killing. And when Dalgliesh discovers the murdered body of the Acting Administrative Officer on the beach, he finds himself caught up in the passions and dangerous secrets of the headland community and in one of the most baffling murder cases of his career.