Major Johnson's army career was undistinguished. He rose slowly through the ranks, conforming to the rules, and, on retirement, settled in the quiet village of Wiveldown, where he planned to become a respected member of the community. But Wiveldown is to belie its placid image, for soon the paths of a disparate group of people are about to cross with devastating consequences. An elderly woman, a pair of young louts, an innocent girl . . . when their lives suddenly connect, a chain of events is initiated which will begin in coincidence and end in tragedy. And for the Major, life is to be irrevocably changed . . .