Not far from Stonehenge, a woman has been murdered at the foot of a megalith shaped like a great shrouded figure. In spite of his efforts, Inspector Brian Leslie is not able to identify her, and when Ian Rutledge has returned from concluding a similar case with an unidentified victim, he is asked to take a second look at Leslie's inquiry. Following The Black Ascot, Rutledge's 22nd case seems insoluble, until he finds a clue that seems to point toward an impossible solution. Rutledge cannot afford to accuse the wrong person, especially if he can't prove it, but even worse, he suspects Chief Superintendent Markham—for some unknown reason—wants him to fail.