So many times Smith has tried to run away from a case because of the complexities in it and ironically he has been forced to solve it at any rate. Smith was once again busy with some other issues which were quite important for him when he gets a call from the police department. Mark Randall is found dead near the countryside and Smith just does not want to go to that part of the world.
The countryside always gives Smith a creepy feeling and he thinks that he just cannot investigate in such a scenario. However, the investigation starts and Smith is left with no other option except to question the local farmers one by one.
Almost every farmer has his tale to tell which makes the case appear to be a headache for everyone. Soon the police department and Smith feel that they are quite close to the criminal and once the criminal is caught, Smith feels that something is missing. Smith gets the hint that they had caught the wrong man and the murder was committed by someone else. Christopher Waters discusses the same thing with Smith and the reply which is given by Smith shows that his mind was occupied by the same thing.
Peter Grainger has never portrayed Smith in such a terrible state because he is just not mentally satisfied in this novel because of the investigation. Also, Songbird and An Accidental Death didn’t possess this type of story in them that could make the detective think twice about his decisions. Narrator Gildart Jackson started right from where he ended the previous chapter of the series as changes are not brought in narration in any of the parts.
