Most newcomers don't stay long in remote Lochdubh – usually boredom, dampness and nosy locals drive them out. But it looks as if artist Effie Garrand has come to stay. When Hamish Macbeth calls on her he's amazed to find the woman in residence after a particularly harsh winter. Unfortunately, Effie is also quite delusional, having convinced herself that fellow local artist Jock Fleming is in love with her, and that they are engaged. But after a lover's scrap with Jock, Effie is found dead, poisoned by hemlock. Suicide or murder? It's up to Hamish to find out whether the dreamer's death is the result of something much more serious than a broken heart ...