The death of a pet dog prompts Henry Havard, 52, to reassess his life. His beloved Kirk Aeppel estate nears bankruptcy, the roof is close to collapse and there is no heir. He has neither financial nor the practical acumen to attend to the decaying fabric of the estate, nor has he the personal wherewithal to form a romantic or fruitful relationship.
 
The narrative follows the attempts to save this little piece of Derbyshire arcadia through the diary entries of three of the key estate players. Can Henry defeat the ghosts of his past which hold him captive? Can newly appointed Tanushi find a way to provide for the future?
 
Art and antiques, bugs and beetles, whisky and cider, romance and rejection, dogs and pigs and yet more dogs form the backdrop to the story of Kirk Aeppel.