Synopsis

Andrew Bateman, a war correspondent on holiday and touring the West Country, has his car crushed with him inside it and, after escaping through the sliding roof, is knocked down and warned not to interfere again. Puzzled, he arrives at the house where he is staying to finds that his host, the wildlife warden called Mick Phelps, has a car identical to his and that the attackers were probably deer poachers.

In the days that follow, he and Tansy Phelps, Mick Phelps' daughter, to whom he is strongly attracted, find evidence of the poachers work in a valley of Dunmoor, and set out top catch the poachers. It is obvious that someone is providing them with local knowledge to enable them to find the herds of deer at night.

Mick tries to interest the police but they are reluctant to help, having an apparent aversion to being involved in rural affairs.

Andrew and Tansy manage to prevent one attack by the poachers, by scaring the deer away but, in revenge, the gang make s disturbing threat to the family if anyone interferes again with their poaching activities.

Other characters are Roger, the owner of the stables where some of the hunt members hire their horses, his glamorous wife, Marian, Dave, a young barman who is a newcomer to the district and Deborah Jacques, a soft hearted opponent of hunting.

Andrew and Tansy work together to lift the threat to the family, but a murder is committed to further complicate their task. At this point the police have to take an interest, but it is Andrew and Tracy who discover the surprising identity of the murderer. And help to capture the poachers.

Details about the habits of deer in the West Country and about deer hunting have been carefully researched and some new issues on hunting are discussed and some surprising facts emerge in the progress of the book.

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