In the quiet Lancashire village that is home to forensic psychologist Jill Kennedy, the wealthy new owner of nearby Kelton Manor is found dead in the woods. As Jill and her sometime lover and colleague DCI Max Trentham hunt the dead man's killer, they are drawn ever deeper into the victim's dark past. When the name of prominent local businessman Thomas McQueen crops up in the course of their inquiries, Max finds himself adrift in uncharted waters; already facing suspension for harassing McQueen - believing him to be responsible for an unsolved murder a year earlier. Is McQueen really as innocent as he claims?