Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton has enough problems on her hands. Not only is she struggling to upkeep the sprawling Manor House and vast acres she inherited, but she must also take care of her numerous tenants while coping with the inconveniences and sacrifices of wartime England. Fortunately, Sitting Marsh is far removed from the bombing going on in London and other cities. That doesn't mean that peace prevails in the tiny village, however. There's the handsome American major who takes over the Manor House for officers' quarters, and the group of belligerent housewives determined to take on the German invaders, not to mention a murder or two... Roger Thorncroft spent most of his days on the cliffs with his easel and paints-until the day he was found sprawled in the grass. Who and why would someone have killed such a gentle, quiet man? Then again, who really knew the artist and his secrets? And, though the members of the Housewives League are convinced they're German spies, who are the mysterious strangers seen in Sitting Marsh? Lady Elizabeth has her work cut out to catch a killer and restore harmony in the village.