In a tiny Hamlet in North Wales, a female recruit is murdered whilst on Christmas home leave. Detective Inspector Yvonne Giles is asked to cut short her own leave, to investigate. She is devastated that this will mean missing spending time with her mother, whom she hasn't seen in many years - not since Yvonne's father took his own life.Why was the young soldier killed? And is her death related to several alleged suicides at her army base? D.I. Giles thinks it is, and that someone powerful has a dark secret they will do anything to hide.