It's murder in Discworld!--which ordinarily is no big deal. But what
bothers Watch Commander Sir Sam Vimes is that the unusual deaths of
three elderly Ankh-Morporkians do not bear the clean, efficient marks of
the Assassins' Guild. An apparent lack of any motive is also quite
troubling. All Vimes has are some tracks of white clay and more of those
bothersome "clue" things that only serve to muck up an investigation.
The anger of a fearful populace is already being dangerously channeled
toward the city's small community of golems--the mindless, absurdly
industrious creatures of baked clay, who can occasionally be found
toiling in the city's factories. And certain highly placed personages
are using the unrest as an excuse to resurrect a monarchy--which would
be bad enough even if the "king" they were grooming wasn't as
empty-headed as your typical animated pottery.