Disenchanted investigative journalist Martin Scarsden is told by his boss to write a follow-up piece a year after a mass shooting of five parishioners by a charismatic young priest in the small rural town of Riversend.

Martin Scarsden decides to stay on in Riversend to dig deeper into the mystery of Byron Swift, a well-liked priest who suddenly murdered five of his parishioners.

At teenager Allen's wake, Martin learns that the boy was not as innocent as first portrayed, with Robbie telling him he was persuaded by Byron to drop drug charges against him.

Martin believes he has found the link between the shooting victims and asks for Robbie's help in accessing the case files; a further clue implicates one of the victims.

After a long break, Martin Scarsden returns to his hometown in the hopes of spending a quiet vacation with his new partner, Mandy Bond; his plans take a turn when his mate Jasper Speight is found dead and the only witness and suspect is Mandy.

Martin continues to explore the events surrounding Jasper's murder; he and Mandy deal with the information that someone at Hummingbird Beach Retreat, possibly Jasper, spiked her drink and drugged her.