When surveying a site for a proposed road construction project, an archaeologist uncovers a body. It is no surprise to discover burial remains in the 1800s-era Famine Field. However, the clothing on the corpse suggests that it is a recent burial - certainly not a victim of the Great Famine. And the unusual attire is foreign to County Mayo. In the course of the subsequent police investigation, the Famine Field reveals additional disturbing secrets. The brilliant but eccentric Detective Inspector John Patrick Murphy, 'Murf', faces the most challenging mystery so far in his career. He learns that 'foreign' is not synonymous with 'distant'.
