A serial killer who murders young women who have just become engaged is at large, who after every death phones the local newspaper and quotes from Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Investigations centre around a fair, where the young relative of a psychic fortune teller who "saw" the death of Brenda Sorby is also murdered.

Dick Elgood, an old fiend of Dalziel's, unofficially reports two strange incidents which nearly kill him and asks Dalziel to investigate. The subsequent investigation by him and Pascoe exposes a chain of bizarre, accidental deaths stretching back nearly three decades but not a single shred of evidence to suggest foul play! Each of the, seemingly unconnected, deaths have somehow or other benefited Patrick Alderman even though it could not be proven that he had any connection to the deaths. The trail leads to Penny Highsmith, an old flame of Dalziel's, but goes cold when she is shown not to be involved. The case is eventually closed with the death, in mysterious circumstances, of Dick Elgood, the victim of yet another weird accident.

A dead miner is found when old mine workings are re-opened. He is found on the anniversary of his, and another childs death. The question is, did he kill the child or not? The case is brought to a head when a journalist rules out the other suspect on the front pages of a sunday newspaper, causing red faces for the detectives. As the story unravels itself Dalziel makes sure the truth comes to light

Pascoe has his life thrown into turmoil when he discovers that his grandfather was shot as deserter during World War One, Dalziel manages to fall for the prime suspect in the case (an animal rights raid on a pharmaceutical company and the discovery of a skeleton in the grounds of the place) he is investigating.