In the wake of World War II, in a sleepy, Welsh seaside town, a serial killer is on the loose and picking off victims. Three young, recently discharged veterans return home to north Wales to enjoy life and the pleasant weather, not to mention the favors of Lilian Ridetski, who runs a high class hair salon in the town. But when Lilian and others are found brutally strangled, suspicion falls on all of her customers. Both a dark comedy and a quick-witted thriller, this novel is also a surprisingly tender portrait of old friendships lived to the gentle rhythms of a wave-lulled town in the warm face of summer.