The disappearance of a young woman triggers a devastating chain of events which lays bare the dark, hidden heart of paradise. Long buried secrets are dragged into the open as lives and deeds of local residents intersect over one fractured summer and its aftermath.
When Scout Lewis returns home after studying abroad, she’s disturbed by the change in her best friend Hedwig. A drug-fuelled night ensues, in which Scout rails against Hedwig’s new, dark life, and by the time morning dawns, both girls have vanished.
When Scout is discovered after two days missing, she is determined to find Hedwig but shocked to realise she is under investigation herself.
As the search for Hedwig continues, crumbling movie-star Andy Dolan surfaces as a strange and crucial player in her disappearance.
As the pressure builds on the Eden police to find Hedwig Shelley, the murder of a local drug dealer adds coal to the fire. Chief Gracie begins to lose his cool head, as his most terrible secret threatens to bubble to the surface.
In her search for answers, Scout encounters a fierce ally of Hedwig’s who reveals the dream he and Hedwig shared of beginning a new life – and how that dream was derailed by the true kingpin behind Eden’s drug trade.
As details about Hedwig’s childhood are revealed, Scout delves deeper into the life her friend had been living. In a night of discovery and romance, Scout betrays what she knows to the wrong people – with terrible consequences.
With his corrupt operation falling apart, Drysdale tries to tidy his loose ends, hunting for Cam and the secrets he holds. Meanwhile, Saranya tails an elusive Katz to get answers and protect Scout from harm.
Reeling from tragedy but unwilling to accept what the town has passively accepted, Scout steps into the mind of Hedwig to uncover the truth and find a small measure of solace.
