The island of Gothard is a law unto itself. Separated from the mainland by a long bridge, it has its own chancellor and popular jury. The island is run by two powerful families, the Faols (who own the silver mine) and the Cárthaigs (who own the bank). Decisions are taken by popular vote in the main square, Wolf Tongue. But when the schoolteacher and his family turn up dead in the house next to the lighthouse, Beth police force is called to the scene. The inspector in charge of the case is Gonçalves. He lives in Beth, a city that has two faces according to how much money you have, though he originally hails from Galataz in the north of the country. He is haunted by the memory of his wife, Anne Marie. The other officers on the case are Pietre, a sex addict who smokes too much, and Lúa, whose father suffers from Alzheimers and whose great-grandfather was from the island. Aidan Faol, the chancellor, doesnt take kindly to outside interference, and Gonçalves will need to have all his wits about him if he is to get to the truth of why the schoolteacher and his family were murdered. This