In the calm village of Middlehempston, a former social worker's past comes back to haunt her

Jem loved her job. She was a social worker, and she always took care of her cases. One boy, Fergus, took to her instantly. From the age of eight, when his mother died and he landed at the social services office, he loved Jem fiercely. But Jem's marriage to Gerry, in Fergus's mind, was the deepest betrayal.

Years later, when a callous tycoon's life is falling apart around him, it's Gerry who steps in to help. And Jem must deal with the return of an old acquaintance: Fergus, armed with a shotgun and a thirst for vengeance.