Barrister Gina Overton decides to move back to Canterbury to be nearer to her elderly mother and takes up a position at legal chambers in the city. Her move coincides with the start of the SEKare Inquiry into abuse and neglect at a group of care homes in the area. Gina specialises in prosecuting medical negligence claims and has agreed to represent the group whose vulnerable relatives suffered in the residential homes. The experience proves to be more challenging than she anticipates and she finds herself to be the subject of some subtle intimidation. Who is trying to unsettle Gina and cause her to question her decision to relocate? Without the support of her husband, Will, who is yet to move to the area and with the increasing worries of her mother's dementia, she struggles to remain in control of her life. Is she being paranoid or is someone determined to make her life difficult?

Meanwhile, Melanie, with a history of self-harm becomes increasingly distressed as memories of being bullied at school are triggered by a message out of the blue from a girl in her school year. Can her counsellor Trish help her cope with her painful past? The tension mounts and the novel reaches a dramatic climax which changes the characters' lives irreversibly.

The book is an exploration of human interactions and the mental scars that result from abuse which can take years to heal. What drives people to intimidate and bully? What will result from the desire to dispense a form of justice?