Following a string of disastrous house-sitting assignments, and an
equally troubled personal life, Thea Osborne is understandably
apprehensive about her latest commission: a wintry month in an isolated
house with only an assortment of animals, including her loyal spaniel
Hepzie, for company. With the summer lushness of the Cotswolds turned
icy grey, Thea spends her first few days exploring the beautiful hamlet
of Hampnett, meeting some of the locals. But then the weather turns
extreme, and so do events. When she stumbles across a man lying dead in
a snow-covered field, Thea finds herself once again at the heart of a
mystery.