Winter in Mulbury and frost hardens the ground. The tourists still flock to the little town to buy jams and pickles, second-hand books and upcycled clothing, but they're clad in woollen coats and hats. Rosemary Exeter keeps warm making marmalade in her kitchen, surrounded by baskets of lemons, much to tabby cat Sunny's disgust.

When Jasper Lu uncovers a skeleton in his back yard, the town suddenly becomes much busier. The police arrive, followed closely by Adelia Lochard the filmmaker and Rosemary's son-in-law, Ronnie the private investigator. Then come people Rosemary has never seen before: a handsome man in a worn leather jacket, a loud and happy family of mudlarkers, and two women claiming to be the daughters of an old resident. In all this, the skeleton remains a mystery until more than bones are dug up from Mulbury's past.

A small-town cozy mystery with curious characters and a disgruntled cat.