When forty something Nicola Eagles goes on the holiday of a lifetime to the Maldives, she never dreams she'll fall in love - she's too shy, too set in her ways. But then she meets someone who changes her life forever. Just when things seem to be going right for Nicola, though, she disappears without a trace. Was it a voluntary disappearance, or was she abducted - or murdered? When her absence is noted back in the UK, DI Gillian Marsh is sent to investigate. Gillian is a good detective but her life is dysfunctional to say the least - and as she delves deeper into the case, she realizes that she may be out of her depth professionally too. For Nicola's disappearance is just the start.