A few months after his beloved wife’s death from cancer, Miles Deering wonders if he’ll ever get used to her absence. Then he discovers papers among her belongings that make him wonder if he ever really knew her at all…

The next day, Detective Inspector Gemma James is called to Regent’s Canal to investigate a body that surfaced during a boat tour. It’s none other than Miles Deering, and it doesn’t look like he went into the water of his own accord. Still adjusting to her new station after a recent transfer, and mistrustful of her colleagues given the station’s reputation for discriminating against outsiders, Gemma calls on Duncan Kincaid for assistance.

Along with Gemma’s old partner, Melody Talbot, and Duncan’s sergeant, Doug Cullen, they begin to unravel the details of Miles Deering’s life. According to his friends and family, he was a well-off widower with no obvious enemies. But Gemma can’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t a random killing—which means one of Miles’s nearest and dearest is lying.

Someone is hiding a secret worth killing for, and the detectives are determined to discover who. But as the team gets closer to a real answer, another attack puts the pressure on. To make matters more complicated, Gemma’s new boss seems intent on stymying her investigation. But Gemma, Kincaid, and their colleagues are willing to risk everything, including their careers, if it means catching a killer.