The naked body of a young woman was found lying in the river Dart on Dartmoor. Her face had been destroyed, her jewellery had been removed, with the exception of one earring. There was no clue as to her identity.
DCI Dexter Smalacombe and his sergeant began their investigations at a nearby pub and picked up on local gossip. They discovered that a couple, both famous actors, had moved into the manor house and held wild parties.
This gave the detectives a lead. This was followed by a request for information on a missing woman, which gave them a break through.
The young woman's murderer was quickly identified but then there was a second murder. It was clearly connected with the first but it uncovered a host of complex issues. They found disputes between landowners, blackmail, drug habits, prostitution, connections with a London thug and people who were not who they pretended to be.
All characters, and the hamlet of Longtor, are fictional.