The action begins with a major fire at the local College. DCI Broadly the main character was a student there in the 1960s and the murder victim was a lecturer there.A body is found in the burnt-out shell, discovered to be that of the Chemistry lecturer, Phillip Henry Blakeridge.Prior to the murder a series of Post Office robberies were under investigation and continue alongside the murder investigation holding the reader with cliff-hangers along the journey.We are transported back to Broadly's youth as a student at the College and visit the Chemistry lab. Fellow students remain close friends providing a unique thread throughout the book. Broadly and the murderer enter a tense psychological battle and at the climax we go full circle to the Chemistry lab. The murderer reacts against his discovery by Broadly .

Only an unorthodox counter-attack will save the day and Broadly's face.