Swedish author Berit Gardner has withdrawn to a cottage in Cornwall to try and overcome her writer’s block. In a rundown village far from the picturesque coastal cafés and eager tourists she hopes to find some peace and quiet. But things don’t quite go as planned when a murder takes place at the first official tea party Berit attends alongside all the odd villagers in Great Diddling.

Detective Ian Ahmed at the Devon & Cornwall Police is charged with the investigation. He is determined to find the perpetrator before any other murders take place. The villagers, on the other hand, want to use the dastardly deed as a way to lure tourists to Great Diddling. Berit soon finds herself caught in both village intrigues and the murder investigation.