Ellie and her new husband Thomas are suffering from terrible colds when called to deal with Ursula, a young student, who has staged a sit-in at church and refuses to move. Ursula challenges Ellie to solve three mysteries: a broken engagement, her friend Mia's disappearance, and a murder. As she investigates, Ellie begins to suspect that there is more to these events than anyone is willing to admit. Soon she finds her own friends and family targeted as a powerful group hunts her down.
Meanwhile Ellie's ever-demanding daughter Diana makes herself homeless, and her architect cousin lands himself in yet another financial mess. Both become caught up in the race to ruin Ellie before she can produce the dreadful evidence of corruption and abuse that is haunting the council chambers. Every lead returns to Ursula, who has not been entirely open with the truth. But what can one young girl do, against such a powerful family?