A reckless move in a drug raid leaves Commander Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard badly wounded and with time off. When he arrives to visit a friend at Toynton Grange, Dalgliesh thinks he's on vacation. Instead, a string of highly mysterious deaths catapult him dead-center into a maze of mystery, blackmail and murder. Suspects abound, but there is only one witness - the brooding black tower at the top of the cliff.