Maggie Baird owes her fortune to a life as a mistress to wealthy men and a knack for investments. Now, as a middle-aged woman, plump and wrapped in tweed, she arrives in the Scottish village of Lochdubh, where she owns a luxurious cottage. At Maggie's invitation, soon more guests arrive: her niece and four former lovers, all of whom are in financial trouble. When Maggie dies under mysterious circumstances, Lochdubh's village policeman, Hamish Macbeth, suspects these five houseguests of foul play. And Hamish wouldn't be Hamish if he let a murderer slip away, no matter how clever they might be.