Murder, suicide, guilt, revenge, and fear invade the lives of so many people - all because of one mistake made by one woman.

Although married and living in the same house in a leafy Sydney suburb, John and Laura Milford pursue, for the most part, separate lives. Both harbour dark secrets from their pasts.

Daughters, Mallory and Bannon have been afforded private schools, travel, expensive extra-curricular activities - in fact almost anything money can buy. Their parents are dutiful, but not close to their children or to each other, so the girls' lives have become intensely enmeshed as they try to help each other negotiate destructive and perilous forces in their lives. Both girls continually seek the love they can never find from others. So, they love each other.

Bannon comes across intriguing black and white photograph in Laura's study and it sets her on a path to find answers. Photographs play a large role in Bannon's search, as she gleans more and more worrisome clues about her parents' past lives.

Then there is Jennifer, a much older sister who lives with her husband in rural Queensland. Jennifer has secrets of her own which Bannon also seeks to unravel.