DCI Vera Stanhope and DS Joe Ashworth investigate the murder of David Kenworthy, found dead on the beach at Whitley Bay. Although spotted in an argument with a local business owner earlier that night, Vera digs into the past uncovering that the Kenworthy family and their business is not as respectable as it appears. When a second death occurs, Vera is faced with pressure to solve the case quickly; she must use all her tenacity to expose the rift in the heart of the fractured family.