Frank is a reformed alcoholic. He lives at home with his mother, Elisabeth at least, he did until she went into a nursing home suffering from dementia. He is devoted to her and conversely hates his estranged father, Geoffrey. So when elder sister Pat calls to tell him Dad is dying and wants to meet him, Frank is forced to face up to his demons. But what are they? And how did he acquire them? Every family has its secrets and Frank's is no exception. As much as he tries to forget, something happened a long time ago that has coloured his life ever since - and he can't live in peace until he...

Alan Harrison is a perfectly ordinary, middle-class, middle-aged and happily married man. But when his wife, Susan, suddenly dies, his life starts to disintegrate. Rather than stay at home where the memory of his wife still haunts him, he decides to spend the summer in Sweden at the invitation of his in-laws. On the shores of Lake Malaren, he discovers fresh reasons for living and a contentment he had not previously thought possible. But unexpected guests arrive to disturb his new-found peace and he is forced to take unprecedented steps to recover it. Set against a backdrop of stunning...