A butcher's son and a choirboy have been murdered in rural Dorset. Inspector Jury sees a connection between the murders and a previous gruesome crime. A mother was murdered in front of her daughter, five-year-old Teresa, who suffered trauma and hasn't spoken a word since. Sam Waterhouse, the mother's lover, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder and is now free. Together with his assistant Wiggins and his aristocratic friend Melrose Plant, Inspector Jury ventures into the foggy region to shed light on the confusing darkness. The trail leads him to the country estate of the Ashcrofts, the wealthiest family in the area.