Surrounded by impassable mountains that hide them from the sea, the citizens of Ashmere are a traditional lot who have cultivated a peaceful society in their seclusion from the tumultuous outside world. But when a series of fires in the farmlands threaten a food shortage that could starve the hidden country, Dirch Eastberry, chief constable of Ashmere, and his young deputy Marion begin to unravel a larger plot than anyone could have imagined.Time is running out as the citizens of Ashmere, their fields burning night after night, are forced to question the very traditions that have kept them safe for so long.