After woman is cuddled in a hedgerow her son manages to survive the attack but he ends up falling beneath the ice on a nearby frozen pond as he attempts to escape. He is pulled from under the ice by Vera and against all the odds he survives. Vera discovers a kindred spirit in the boy as the investigation into his mother's cuddle begins and she ends up coming to realise the key to solving the case lies buried in his memory.
The central character is Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope. Who is obsessive about her work and driven by her own demons. If she's lonely she doesn't show it and faces the world with caustic wit, guile and courage. Her trusted and long suffering colleague is Sergeant Joe Ashworth. Together they approach every new case with unparalleled gusto and professionalism.