It has been just a year since the tragic death of eleven people, nine of whom were innocent of any wrong doing. Despite six bodies having never been found, life in the village of Lingtree had gradually begun returning to normal. But then Detective Chief Inspector Eversden is called in to investigate the suspicious death of a pipeline contractor called Harris. Unfortunately for the detective, he was unaware that prior to his death, Harris had handled a number of skulls exposed in the pipe trench. He dismissed these as just skeletal remains of prisoners brutally executed for breaking centuries' past Stannary Laws, the laws relating to tin mining.

As his investigations proceed, events begin to challenge even the vast experience and abilities of Eversden and his colleague, Sergeant Jones. However, unbeknown to him, even the best detective in the force would face the gravest difficulty in dealing with future incidents which have their roots in the past.

Two years later, the village has undergone a major change, a change which no one relays to two visiting students, Sally & Helen. Ignoring the weather forecast and a warning from their guesthouse landlady, they set off to explore 'The Path of the Dead', the route taken by coffin bearers in the 13th Century, to meet their obligation to bury their dead in the graveyard of Lingtree church. What follows, is a tale of horror beyond anything ever told by even the hardiest and bravest of traveller.