Retired Scotland Yard detective Joe Loxley's peaceful retirement with his wife in the New Forest is abruptly shattered when, out of the blue, he begins receiving a series of threatening notes. Events take an even more sinister turn when the body of a philanthropic local businessman, Roger Turnbull, is found shot dead in the forest. As the murder investigation unfolds, each shocking discovery exposes the creeping reach of urban crime, extending its ominous grip deep into the hills of Purbeck. Meanwhile, the harassment of Loxley and his wife escalates to new levels of menace. What follows is a twisting tale of greed and fear, with the possibility of sudden death a constant, chilling companion.