Judge William Thornton, hard man of the Crown Court, retires to enjoy the fruits of his success but becomes a victim of hate mail in the form of Biblical quotations. His study is broken into and his beloved grand-daughter, Jody, apparently kidnapped, adding to the judge's nightmare. With his alcoholic, terminally ill brother, Bernard, and his housekeeper, Emma, the judge attends a cocktail party - can they unmask the perpetrator and end the judge's misery?