When Adam Winter arrived at Bristol's Parkway station he didn't expect to find a dead body and an injured man almost side-by-side, nor did he realise what a complex set of relationships he would find himself drawn into. A young fairly recent widower and author he meets a series of females that variously attract him and pursue him as he is drawn into the wealthy Cannington-McFadden clan. The dead girl, soon identified as an actress in porno films, may have had relationships with more than one of the clan and the man injured at the time she died is to be engaged to another. Also, the clan's marital complexities and infidelities further complicate the investigation, which incidentally is being led by Adam's ex-father-in-law, DCI 'Tom' Becket. Adam is researching material for a crime novel and he finds much to interest him – even an attempt on his own life, not to mention more murders and attempts at the same. He is invited to the lavish engagement party at Buntings, the Cannington home; however, his ex-father-in-law persuades him to act as agent provocateur, with startling consequences. The abduction of beautiful Paula Cannington sets in train a terrifying chase and confrontation in a partly dilapidated house culminating in more tragedy, even though the real murderer is finally unmasked.