An English rose garden on a summer's day. A small boy watches with interest as his great-aunt cuts the deadheads off the rosebushes with a sharp knife. What could be more peaceful, more harmless? Young Patrick grows up to be a calm, pleasant man, with a good job, a wife and two children, and the best rose garden for miles around. When somebody tells the police that Patrick Aldermann is killing people, Chief Superintendent Dalziel thinks it's probably all nonsense. But Inspector Pascoe is not so sure .

炙熱的夏天，有個小男孩在一座英式玫瑰花園裡，看著阿姨用尖銳的刀子把玫瑰花叢中枯萎的花朵割掉，他覺得很有趣。一切看起來是多麼的和平又無害！小Patrick長大後，成為一個安靜但親切的男人。在外有不錯的工作，在內有妻子和兩個小孩，還有一個超大型玫瑰花園，生活看似十分幸福美滿。有一天，有人通報警察，發現Patrick殺了人。所長Dalziel認為這人根本滿口胡言，大家都知道Patrick的為人。但巡邏警察Pascoe卻不確定誰說的才是正確的…