Things are not going well for Martin Cole. He is less than happy about his half-century approaching rapidly. More importantly, recently he lost his job, on top of that his wife Carol divorced him and threw him out of his London home. So when his friend Nigel asks him to house-sit his Devon country cottage whilst Nigel takes an extended vacation, Martin jumps at the chance. But if Martin was expecting a quiet life he is in for a shock. Roselake seems peaceful at first glance, but soon Martin finds himself with serious problems. Wild women and raw home-distilled spirits he can cope with, but murder is something he was not prepared for. At times flippant, at times soul-searching, at times naif, Martin muddles through. Whether due to his intuition or just plain luck, Martin solves the Blackleigh murders, making some friends - and enemies - along the way.