The rural town of St. Botolph's Fen End may have a pervert in their midst. Did Henry Gower, the very enthusiastic schoolteacher, carry the demonstrations in his sex education classes just a little too far? So claim four innocent schoolgirls. But the weakest of the four buckles and confesses to her parents that they made the story up-but why? Was it boredom, revenge, or just a pure evil in the leader of the group? After all, she's been seen consulting the town's ancient herbalist, a local witch of sorts.

But when Henry Gower's body is found mangled in a pond, the unanswered questions grow even more complex. Only Superintendent Simon Kenworthy, with the help of the sexy but hard-nosed young cop Polly Parrott, can sort through the slander and find the true murderer.