What would you do if your life changed in an instant, with no time to prepare or plan?

William Masters’ life did exactly that when his wife, Susie, mysteriously disappeared in Twywell, Northamptonshire, in August 2007. Little did he know how desperate his situation would become.

In Lincoln, Vicky’s life also changed without warning when she let an unwelcome stranger into her house one dark cold night. Her life would never be the same again.

Regardless, Vicky’s daughter, Petra, selfishly continued with her life of self-destruction and worse – she was about to involve her mother in her criminal activities.

Where did the traumatised, complicated family that represented everything Susie despised fit into her life and how could she erase the memory of it all?

Attempting to solve the mystery, two members of the police, Caroline Cordell and Tom Gates, search for something in their own complicated personal lives. Would this case turn up unexpected help for either of them?

And what would Tom do about Gail?

This is a story of two very different women – a story of hatred and of love.