The Dales Detective Agency's latest assignment appears to be an open and shut case. Hired by a local solicitor to find a death certificate for a young woman who died over twenty years ago, Samson O'Brien is about to find out that things in Bruncliffe are rarely that straightforward. Delilah is eager to help, needing to take her mind off the impending custody case for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and problems with her dating agency. As Samson and Delilah begin their inquiries they soon become embroiled in a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades.