When 18-year-old Rowan Edwards is found dead, DCI Ellis is called on by ACC Alison Leighton to take over the investigation. Rowan's girlfriend Maggie has not been seen since Rowan's death, and they need results fast.

Ellis investigates a local detective's disappearance but find her colleagues indifferent to her absence and the station blocking her at every turn, forcing her to reach out to the enemy.

After two newlyweds vanish near a dangerous stretch of river, intrusive Internet sleuths descend on the area and overwhelm the local police. When it becomes clear the pair met with foul play, Ellis and Harper delve into the village's tangled past.