Avid bird-watcher Inspector Domenic Jejeune has been recently reassigned to the small Norfolk town of Saltmarsh, located in the heart of Britain's premier birding country, but his two worlds collide when he investigates the grisly murder of a prominent ecological activist. His ambitious police superintendent begins to have her doubts when Jejeune's most promising theory involves a feud over birdwatching lists. A second murder only complicates matters. To unravel this mystery, Jejeune must deal with unwelcome public acclaim, the mistrust of colleagues, and his own insecurities. In the case of the Saltmarsh birder murders, the victims may not be the only casualties.