When a woman confesses to Father Will, one of the monk-constables at Maddleskirk Abbey, that she has committed murder, he can do nothing but absolve her from her sin. The Seal of Confession is absolute. He cannot discuss her crime, ask the identity of her victim, or share the responsibility of this information with anyone. His hands are tied. When a body is found in the nearby woodland, his moral dilemma grows. As the enquiry progresses and the clues confirm his fears that it is a murder case, Father Will must still not reveal his knowledge. Detective Chief Superintendent "Nabber" Napier and his team have a murder to solve, but monks sworn by oath to silence are hardly the ideal candidates for questioning...The search for the killer intensifies, and the team begin to uncover some disturbing facts. When the murder weapon is discovered, concealed in the Abbey, and the detectives learn of the mysterious disappearance - and violent past - of one of the Abbey's monks, the race is on...

After Constable Nick of Aidensfield and Heartbeat fame's retirement, he helped create a small private police force of monk-constables serving Maddleskirk Abbey and its adjoining college. The body of an unknown man is discovered in a huge stone coffin in the crypt and Nick and DCS 'Nabber' Napier of the local constabulary welcome the assistance of the monk-constables or monkstables as they become known, as their knowledge of the abbey, its history, practices and personnel proves invaluable to the detectives. As the murder investigation hots up, a prominent pupil of the college goes missing and the monkstables find themselves pitched into an intense criminal investigation as they search for the missing boy. With help from retired Sgt Oscar Blaketon and ex-PC Alf Ventress, and some input from Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, Nick's experience is put to the test as a killer stalks the hushed corridors of Maddleskirk Abbey.

Detective Inspector Montague Pluke, of CID, is England's most superstitious police officer. With crime at its lowest level for years, he decides to conduct a cold-case review. But there are no major unsolved crimes so, alerted by his wife, Millicent, to a large number of recent deaths - all attributed to natural causes - his expert knowledge of superstitions and folklore lead him to identify areas of suspicion sufficient to justify re-opening a case. Could an undetected mass-murderer be operating in Crickledale? His inquiries reveal that many of the deceased had been attended by Crickledale Voluntary Carers and he quickly produces a list of possible suspects. Indeed, the entire team of carers falls under suspicion - and Detective Inspector Pluke's wife, Millicent, is one of them.