In the mist-shrouded beauty of the Lake District, retired Cambridge archaeologist Dr. Patricia Henley discovers what appears to be an ancient burial site during her morning walk around Grasmere. But her expert eye recognises the deception.

DI Tobias Stone and the Rural Complex Case Unit are called to investigate when the victim is identified as Margaret Ashworth, a respected manuscript authentication expert who lived quietly in nearby Rose Cottage. What begins as a village murder quickly evolves into something far more sinister when Stone discovers Margaret had been contacted by a mysterious academic researcher seeking her expertise with supposed Wordsworth manuscripts.

As the investigation deepens, Stone uncovers a sophisticated fraud operation targeting elderly scholars across northern England. The fake researcher, "Dr. Richard Voss," has been systematically exploiting academic trust to access valuable manuscripts and documents, leaving a trail of deception that stretches from Grasmere's peaceful lanes to Manchester's criminal underworld.

When Margaret's professional instincts detected the fraud, she became a threat that had to be eliminated. Now Stone must navigate the intersection of academic integrity and criminal greed, following a trail of forged credentials and stolen manuscripts while protecting other vulnerable scholars from a killer who views expertise as just another commodity to exploit.

In the shadow of Wordsworth's beloved fells, where literary heritage meets modern crime, Stone discovers that some deceptions run deeper than any burial ground—and some truths are worth killing to conceal.