High-powered PR executive Agatha Raisin fulfills a lifelong dream of retiring to a small village in the Cotswolds. In an attempt to ingratiate herself with her new community, Agatha enters the local quiche-baking competition, but her efforts to win prove fatal.

A group of ramblers argue with Sir Charles, owner of the palatial Barfield House, about a footpath on his land. When the most vocal of the ramblers is found murdered in the field the next day, the dead woman's friend asks Agatha to help find her killer.

As the village prepares for a visit from the bishop, Agatha joins the church bell ringers. Then the ambitious leader of the group, a seemingly perfect young widow, turns up dead in the bell tower. Agatha suspects foul play, despite the suicide note left near the body.

The parish council chairman is found by the wellspring with his head bashed in. He was the deciding vote in a council dispute about whether or not to grant Ancombe Water Company access to the village. Agatha investigates the crime while doing PR for the company.

A number of Carsely gardens are vandalized just before the village garden competition. Later, Mary is found strangled and buried in her own flowerpot. Agatha presses James for information about Mary, since he knew her best, but it turns out that Mary had more dirt than anyone knew.

The arrival of a handsome young vet to Carsely prompts most of the village women’s pets to suddenly fall ill, drawing the ire of their husbands. Agatha lands a dinner date with the vet, but he's given a lethal dose of horse tranquilizers the very next day.