DCI Jane Tennyson and her team have a murder on their hands when the new owners of a home find human remains in the back garden. Everyone believes the remains to be that of Simone Cameron, a young woman who went missing several years before and whose death for which someone is now serving a prison sentence. The environment is racially charged and the local Afro-Caribbean community believe that the wrong man is in jail and that this now proves it. The case becomes complicated for a number of reasons. DS Robert Oswalde, a former lover, is assigned to her squad unexpectedly. The remains are confirmed not to be those of Simone Cameron but actually those of Joanne Fagunwa, a young woman from Brimingham who had also disappeared around the same time. Tennyson's prime suspect is David Harvey, the man who lived in the house at the time of the killing. She manages to get a deathbed confession from him but is doubtful. At the same time, DS Oswalde arrests Tony Allen, who lived next door to the death house. It all turns to tragedy however with a sudden death. Tennyson's prove correct however when evidence shows that the murderer has yet to be detained.