For Major Bricket, attending church in his village of Stunston Peveril in Suffolk is a good way to keep up with the village gossip. Having only recently retired from a career where he was privy to many international secrets, the Major likes to stay in the know. Events take a turn one Sunday though when, after the morning service, Major Bricket notices the door to the bell tower open - and finds a body at the bottom of the stairs. The dead man is dressed in a suit and dog collar. But who is he? And could someone in Stunston Peveril have killed him? Perhaps predictably, most of the village residents seem more concerned with the Parish Council flower arranging rota than the mysterious corpse. Major Bricket will have to rely on his long-nurtured detection skills, and his trusted friends Nga Luong and Rod, to solve the case.