A murdered boy in a Cambridgeshire graveyard sets in motion an investigation into the local church and school, with suspicions of a cult murmured throughout the community. With their first case, DI Eva Wednesday and DS Jacob Lennox explore the various levels of desperation and malice that can stem from an unhappy or dissatisfied life, where no one takes responsibility for their actions. They quickly find that everyone harbours a secret which, left uncontrolled, can bring forth devastating self-destruction.

When a murder occurs in an exclusive swingers' club, DI Wednesday and DS Lennox find themselves immersed in a murky world of sex and secrets. It doesn't take long for the members to turn on one another, and for their clandestine affairs to come crashing into their everyday lives. As Wednesday experiences the pressures of work and caring for her mother's mental illness, and Lennox's ex-wife has him worrying about the sustainability of his role as a father, their case brings about questions of personal freedom and they begin to wonder if we are all, in fact, owned in one way or another.

The death of a patient in a psychiatric unit leads DI Eva Wednesday closer to the world shes been trying to avoid. Attempting to separate paranoid emotions from reality proves challenging, and having her mother in the unit adds another layer of complication. As Wednesday begins to put the pieces of her case together, she is compelled to hold on tightly to her own sanity as the lives of those around her unravel before her eyes.

Alice Calwin finds herself without purpose in life after the death of her mother, whom shed been caring for following a stroke. Theo Edwards, a literary journalist, has a sour outlook on life, bolstered by his ongoing divorce, and is feeling the pressure to revitalise his column in the newspaper.

They encounter one another at a writers retreat in France, but Alices shameful past and Theos deceptive reasons for being there end up affecting them both in very different ways.

When someone finally acknowledges their mistakes, is it ever too late to make amends?

What happens after the murder? A killing has occurred during a Parting Ways weekend, where couples make an attempt at divorcing amicably. The fallout points in many directions as Wednesday and Lennox are faced with a widow, sparring couples, the group facilitators, and the hotel staff, all as suspects. While the confounding case strengthens Wednesdays negative views on relationships, it brings Lennox to a place of reflection as he analyzes his past and contemplates his future.