The moderator elect of the Scottish church is found with his throat cut, naked in a car, next to a female passenger in a similar state - and in an area notorious for being used by lovers. The woman's jealous husband is initially considered the prime suspect, but when one of the rival candidates for the moderator position is also found, the plot thickens. Rebus investigates and discovers that the church's tendency to deal with matters internally and protect its own soon comes back to haunt them.