Oliver, a professor of Comparative Religion, is made redundant (British for laid off) from the University where he had taught for years. Oliver is a great cryptic crossword puzzle fan and automatically tries to make anagrams out of names and words. His favorite crossword puzzle setter is Aristotle (a pseudonym). He decides that since he is free from his job he will set off to meet him.

He finds Aristotle's house and it's been burned down. He immediately goes to the Police Station to report him missing. He is shown into a room and a Police Detective named Diana Priest (an anagram for predestination) comes in. He tells her about Aristotle and she rolls her eyes. Later she asked the sergeant how she gets all the "Loonies". She is intrigued with Oliver, however loony he might be and goes to his hotel to report that she had found Aristotle and he is living in the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

Oliver is appropriately amazed at this quick response and asks how she did it. She reports that she called information. He asks her if she needs any help on any cases and she tells him about a farmer who drowned in a canal and they have not found the murderers. Oliver sleuths and finds some shady dealings by something called the 19th Hole PLC and the Faquaw Group. They want to acquire land and will use any means to do so. Hence the dead farmer. Diana finds out that her high up police bosses are mixed up in this land stealing deal and feels an obligation to question them. For this she is suspended. Oliver invites her to accompany him on his odyssey to find Aristotle. After all they are predestined to be together.

As he loads his suitcases into his little yellow VW he is happy and amazed to see her round the corner with her suitcase as well.

This begins the journey up through England and Scotland and all the way to the far and remote northern isles called the Orkneys. It is a rollicking trip. They are soon followed by a sinister gent named Mr. Baxter. He threatens them and they are not put off but they really don't realize their danger. He continues to follow them even when Diana takes Oliver to meet her father, the monumental mason.

They Plight their Troth in a ruined cathedral and consummate their relationship in a bed and breakfast beside Hadrian's Wall. There is a very nutty and funny innkeeper here.

Next day they walk on the wall and a menacing figure in a black balaclava strides toward them. He has to lift it partway to be understood as he threatens them and Lo it is Diana's near-do-well but likeable son. Turns out he took the place of the thug who was supposed to waylay them. He was working as a security guard for the Faquaw group but subsequently loses his job and accompanies Oliver and Diana on their way. (wedded one day and already with child)

They next go to a beautiful castle where the 13th Baron Kite lives. He is an old hippy type who professes not to need his wealth but was born into it and cares not for it. "Welcome to the pile" he says. They are there under the ruse of being reporters and writers. While Michael sneaks in and scales the walls looking for information on the bad guys. He pretends to be fixing the copier and the blond bimbo (The Baron's insignificant other) doesn't know where it is. She eventually takes Michael down and they are caught. Lucky for Diana her dad calls her just then and they talk to him as they leave the castle. Michael has struck it rich and has the code and password book for all the computers of the bad guys.

They now drop off Michael to see hacker friends to find out about the 19th hole PLC while they continue to the Orkneys. Along the way a helicopter comes and actually strafes their car and they have to shelter behind an abandoned farm. The car explodes but not before they got their luggage out.

A bus full of people on a religious retreat pick him up and mistake him for their visiting preacher. He preaches a sermon in a pretty church and his topics are "thou shalt do no murder" and "what's that supposed to mean". Mr. Baxter enters the choir loft and listens and then sings along with the congregation "he's got the whole world".

They cadge a ride with the bus driver and she takes them to the ferry to the Orkneys. They have many adventures here. They visit the Ring of Brodgar, again Baxter shows up. They visit the Italian Chapel. Baxter again. Michael calls Mom. His hacker friend has broken into the computers downloaded all their stuff and set a worm loose to take down their entire system! They fax all the info to Diana. Mr. Baxter threatens them and convinces them to turn over the information to him.

The Baron is seen being arrested on TV at the airport with his Bimbette that evening.

A mysterious undertaker takes Oliver and Diana to a cemetery and shows them the grave of Aristotle. She had died recently. After they return they go to a prearranged meeting with Mr. Baxter who takes them to his late mother's house. Yes, Mr. Baxter is a good guy all along avenging the burning of his mother's house by joining the bad guys to help bring them down. AND he is now a crossword setter and his pseudonym is Aristotle.

A ripping good story!