Burridge-by-Sea had a bad day before the murder. There was a burglary from Miss Johnson's grand house on the seafront relieving her of a clock worth GBP40,000, and a homeless veteran was beaten up by the Seafront Defence Trust, the thuggish security group set up by the local Yacht Club to protect their Festival of the Sea. The community is riven with tensions, many wondering what sort of town will be left if the Yacht Club have their way. When John Sikorski's battered body is found in his home behind the promenade, Chief Inspector Barclay and Sgt. Penrose are called to investigate. Could the burglary and murder be linked? The Great and the Good want it cleared up - and quickly. Someone died at their party, and they don't want their party spoilt. Barclay is frustrated by obstruction from members of the victim's family and indifference from the local establishment. The investigation barely gets underway before another body is discovered. Someone is desperate to remember something the second victim said. Barclay needs to move fast before the killer strikes again.