Whilst cataloguing the library of Barchester Cathedral in 1932, a scholar, Dr Black is shown a box containing a 50 year old diary detailing the events leading up to the mysterious death of Dr Haynes, a former Archdeacon of the cathedral. From the diary, Dr Black is able to piece together how the murder of Haynes' agéd predecessor, a 17th century carving on the cathedral choir stalls and the appearance of a large black cat ultimately cursed the former archdeacon. (Wikipedia)