Summer, 1748. County Coroner Titus Cragg is called to the usually sedate hamlet of Ingolside which is now in turmoil due to the King's plans for Enclosure. After tensions explode one evening, and a riot sweeps through the town, a body is found on the steps of the village square . . . the body of one John Lavenham, a commissioner from London brought in to implement the unpopular changes to the village.

Titus' responsibility is simple - carry out an inquest to determine if this was a mere accident or if, as he suspects, a murder has been committed. However, with a less-than-helpful local population, and a near-non-existent law enforcement, Titus must rely on a few loyal associates, including physician and friend of many years Dr Luke Fidelis, as well as his own experience to carry out this unpleasant task with as much decorum and officiality as he can.

With gossip and suspicion rife, and the threat of further violence looming, Titus is stretched to the brink to bring order back to this troubled hamlet.