Faith Morgan, former policewoman and vicar of Little Worthy, visits Oliver Markham's farm in the run up to Christmas, only to discover the house surrounded by police cars.

A body has been found in the local River Itchen, which turns out to be that of Lucas Kemp, a local boy and chorister. Markham is charged with his murder. Through her connections with Winchester Cathedral Faith is drawn into the investigation, discovering that Lucas had dropped out of college and that his mother had died a few months previously.

There is a question of drugs, and a rivalry over Lucas's distraught girlfriend - the choir is a hotbed of tensions. Lucas's unsavoury uncle, and a local drug dealer, both come under suspicion, and Ben, Faith's police inspector ex-boyfriend, has to rescue her when the drug dealer turns nasty.

But the actual murderer is none of the above...