It’s 1966. We are in Silbury, a small town in the west of England with a broad High Street, a major independent school, five banks, eleven public houses, and a police station led by Inspector Fatima Dieng. It ought to be a sleepy place, and mostly it is. Yet somehow almost every month some new and significant problem arises that Fatima has to deal with.

In April there is a flood of counterfeit currency in the town.

In May the daughter of a prominent politician is found dead at Silbury College.

During the summer the Longbarrow Tea Rooms are burnt almost to the ground.

In October a prominent scientist at a nearby hush-hush government research facility goes missing.

In November the Mistress of the Silbury Hunt is shot dead.

And in December Fatima herself is the victim of a robbery, whilst she is away on an outing with her two best friends.

In resolving these various crimes, though not always bringing them to full resolution, Fatima shows resourcefulness, humanity and humour. Together with her fellow police officers, and aided by close friends, she tackles not only crime but also ingrained greed, privilege and racism in a society that is undergoing fundamental changes.

And she makes a powerful enemy, who uses every opportunity to undermine her.