When Frederick Rivers comes to read with Mr. Hailey, the lawyer, of the village of Mallowan, he finds all the pleasant quietude he had wished for. But alas! There can be trouble under still waters....

Few people would have found much ado in Mallowan. The rest were Frederick, the brilliant and observant student, the Haileys, the middle aged couple, Mrs. Attwood, the eccentric neighbour, and a few concerned friends and family. Concerned, because the material world is not the only place where things might go wrong.