Along the rugged coast of Whitby, dark dealings are afoot.The discovery of a headless corpse out at sea has everyone on high alert. The dead man is a notorious villain, last seen sailing his luxury yacht round the Med.Now he's all washed up in the North East. But how?Elsewhere, Arnold Landon has problems of his own. Not least, an ultimatum from his girlfriend. Should he join her in the States? Or let her go for good?As he grapples with the dilemma, there is plenty to distract him.A young heiress goes missing and a local historian falls to his death from the dizzy heights of a belfry tower.Could it all be connected?Arnold's instincts tell him both victims were tangled in the same web of deceit.Can he unravel the truth in time to save the missing girl?