A hotly contested parliamentary by-election is raging in Bradfield, Yorkshire, much to the professional delight of newspaper reporter Laura Ackroyd, who knows the town and its politics much better than the self-styled experts hot off the London train. Balancing the job is Laura's relationship with her wry, politically active granny and the return of an old boyfriend from the bright lights of London. Laura's workload gets heavier, though, as she is assigned other news stories to follow, like the police investigation of an unidentified body on the moors, the student campaign to "out" various public figures, and the hints of some dirty dealings in the back rooms of town hall. As Laura diligently peels away the veneer of each story, she discovers a tangle of old and new indiscretions, emotional blackmail, and a disturbing amount of violence. Eventually, her inquiries reveal a common thread tying all these events together, bringing her to the attention of attractive, reserved Inspector Michael Thackeray - and to the attention of the murderer as well.