Johnisarepressedmanwhoisshockedtofindhimselfinmiddleage,secretlyragingathislifeasastay-at-homedad. Whenhisfailuretointerveneinaviolentconfrontationinaplaygroundbringshisidentitycrisistoahead,JohnupsandmoveshisfamilytotheruralidyllofColdwater,asfarawayfromLondonaspossible. Uponarrival,Johnisquicklybefriendedbynext-doorneighbourTommy,acharming,confidentman,devotedhusbandtothelocalvicarRebecca.Heisamanoffaith,apillarofthecommunityandself-appointedleaderofthevillage’sall-malebookgroup. JohnisbothimpressedandslightlyfascinatedbyTommy.HiswifeFionadespiseshim.AsasuccessfulformerchefhopingtolaunchanewventureinColdwater,Fionaseesthemoveasanopportunitytoleavethepastbehindthem.Tonotonlyre-buildtheirlivesasafamilybutre-ignitethelong-lostsparkintheirfadingmarriage.Whenherhusband’srelationshipwiththeirenigmaticnewneighbourbecomesincreasinglyintense,Fiona’ssuspicionsarearoused.SheisunconvincedTommyisallheseemstobe. ButJohnremainsblissfullyunawarethatTommyisharbouringhorrifyingsecrets,andit’sonlyafteraseriesofunsettlingincidentsstarttooccurthatJohnbeginstowonderwhotherealTommyactuallyis. AndwhenJohn’slong-repressedragecomestoaheadwithdisastrousresults,hesoonfindshimselfunexpectedlyindebtedtohisnewfriend. Thisisthestoryofanormalman,inanormalmarriage,whofindshimselfinafarfromnormalsituation.Amanwhodiscoversanewfoundsenseofhisownpower,rightatthemomenthefallsundertheinfluenceofsomeoneincrediblydangerous.