It's the nineteenth century. In a tiny moorland village in Cornwall, where the residents harbour dark secrets, two policemen investigate the brutal murder of a promiscuous young wife and the disappearance of her baby. Superintendent Amos Hawke and Sergeant Tom Churchyard believe the murderer will be found within the isolated and insular community, but unravelling the tangled web of lies and deceit proves frustrating. A young gypsy girl's appearance on the scene has disturbing ramifications for Tom Churchyard - but is she the answer to the mystery?