When Sally Caswell persuaded her scientist husband Liam to move from London to the quiet of rural Oxfordshire it was in the hope of a more peaceful existence. But so far the move has led to nothing but discord. Liam's sabbatical book project is not going well so, frustrated and isolated, he quarrels incessantly both with Sally and with their next-door neighbour, the crotchety pensioner Bodicote whose unruly goats are a constant source of contention. But then a mysterious package arrives that gives the couple real cause for anxiety.

It appears that Liam is being targeted by animal rights activists, though Superintendent Markby, in charge of the investigation, is not entirely convinced. Liam has many enemies, Bodicote among them, and it seems to Markby that Liam's cantankerous old neighbour is hiding something. The more Markby investigates, the more his unease grows - as does that of Meredith Mitchell, Markby's girlfriend and an old friend of Sally Caswell, for Meredith suspects Sally is far from well. Then a body is found ...