Newspaper magnate Richard Jewell is found dead at his country estate, a shotgun still in his hands. Few see his demise as cause for sorrow, but before long, Quirke realizes that, rather than the suspected suicide, 'Diamond Dick' has been murdered. Suspicion soon falls on one of Jewell's biggest rivals, but as Quirke gets to know Jewell's beautiful, enigmatic wife, his fragile sister and those who work for the family, it becomes clear that not everything in this household is as it seems.