‘Gappy old grin, eyes like grey holes . these very branches. Look up, Janey .’

It looks like a paradise parish: cobbled streets, black and white timber-framed houses. But, even before she moves in, Merrily Watkins, the new woman priest, has witnessed an ugly death. Soon she’ll be involved in a bitter dispute over a play about a 17th century vicar accused of witchcraft . a story which certain old families would rather remained obscure.

Welcome to Ledwardine, steeped in cider and secrecy. And, as Merrily and her teenage daughter Jane, discover - a village where horrific murder is a tradition spanning centuries.