Synopsis

Jamie Cruickshank, a bartender at the Maid in Splendour, harbors a strong affection for Bella Monday, a barmaid. His pursuit of her leads him to a dilapidated cottage deep in the woods, where he is fatally shot with a twelve-bore shotgun. Soon after, Stephen Bannerman, the public house landlord’s son, meets the same violent end. Barnaby discovers a simmering resentment within the village, a division between long-time residents and those who had recently arrived. This animosity extended to the la