When a young property developer dies on a beach in Whitley Bay, Vera's investigation begins to tread on many toes. It appears that the victim was not only having a secret relationship with his estranged sister, but that he had confronted a local arcade owner, whose son had died at his house many years before, having slipped from a flat roof in a supposed 'burglary'. However, a scam involving the family's rental business may hold the key to the motive behind the victim's death. But in order to place all of the pieces of the puzzle together, Vera has to reveal some long buried - and heartbreaking - secrets, leading to a shock revelation which points the team firmly in the direction of the real killer.

DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the mysterious death of businessman John Shearwood, found floating in the waters under the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Supposedly on a golf trip to Ireland, wife Stella and brother Luke are baffled to discover John has been working as an informant for Revenue and Customs. But why spy on your own firm?