Inspector Lynley is back! A man is wandering along the coast of Cornwall. He hasn't slept in a bed, washed, or shaved for weeks. When he pauses at the cliff above Polcare Cove, his gaze catches on something red. At the bottom lies a shattered body. What initially appears to be an accident turns out to be murder. Among the suspects is also the solitary wanderer: Inspector Thomas Lynley, who sought solace in escape after the tragic death of his wife and unborn child...