Alleyn travels to the sleepy village of Chalfont Green when a body is found there in a ditch.

A war of words breaks out on the Scottish island of Portacarrick after a boy's warts appear to be cured by the waters of Pixie Falls, a spring with legendary powers. Miss Emily Pride is the lady laird of the island, while her rival Miss Elspeth Cost wants to turn it into a health centre to compete with Lourdes. After someone tries to kill Emily Pride, her old friend, Alleyn, comes to the island on holiday to investigate. He finds adultery and bitter sexual rivalry.

Alleyn travels to the sleepy village of Swevenings, where an aristocrat has been found bludgeoned to death by a stream. The dead man, an old soldier of the Great War, was planning the publication of a friend's war memoirs.