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.
