1947 England is haggard by the scarcities of war and the blight of a harsh winter. In this cold, corrupt, and bankrupt world, Peter Cotton, a Colonial Intelligence officer, continues his adventurous series as Harold Watkins (homosexual previously convicted for "gross indecency") is found dead in his hotel room, suspected of committing suicide by means of a poisoned apple. Cotton's quest for truth envelopes a world of theatrical grandiosity, political hostilities, and a myriad of dark secrets, as he closes off possibilities till he reaches a final conclusion.