Warwickshire, England, 1938 While Hitler and Chamberlain are preparing to sign the Munich agreement, the murderer of a Jewish shopkeeper is being hanged in Birmingham. After witnessing the execution, Inspector James Given, who brought the killer to justice, is surprised to find he has been taken off the investigation to pursue something completely different. Grovestock House, owned by the wealthy Barleigh family has witnessed a triple death. With the terrible events neatly written off as a murder and a double suicide, Given is supposed to tidy up a few loose ends with the help of local constable, John Sawyer. But Given is sure there is more to the case than meets the eye. What dark secrets were the Barleigh family hiding? Could there be another killer involved? And how will Given react when he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past…?

England, March 1939 Murmurs of war are rippling through Europe, and violence against Jewish people is on the rise. Inspector James Given, himself Jewish by birth, but not in practice, is busy trying to stop attacks on Jewish businesses in Coventry. But then a murder case lands in his lap. A young girl’s body is found in the crypt of a prestigious school. Part-mummified, it is hard to discover how long she’s lain there. But why wasn’t she reported missing? Has no one been looking for her? And could more lives be at risk…?

England, 1939 With the outcome of his previous case still haunting him, Inspector James Given is struggling to recover. Nightmares over his ex-girlfriend’s death are worrying him and he is questioning whether he will be able to continue working as a detective. On top of that, the outbreak of the Second World War is announced and Given’s Jewish family is at risk. While Given travels to Europe in search of his uncle, a complicated case arises at home in Kenilworth. Before leaving, Given had been put in charge of a seemingly straightforward suicide case. But now the police suspect the man was murdered. As Given returns home he finds himself forced to investigate the brutal killing. Can Given make peace with his past? Will he be able to cope with the murder case? And can he save his family from the horrors of Hitler’s regime…?

March, 1940 James Given has left his job as an inspector in England and moved with his wife Rachel to start a new life in France. But when a local woman, Lisette Perron, dies under suspicious circumstances, Given comes out of retirement to investigate the possible murder. What had first appeared to be a tragic cycling accident seems to be something more sinister. As James begins to question the locals, it becomes apparent a spy is in hiding nearby. And with the Second World War intensifying and the terror of the Nazi’s an ever-present threat, Given is unsure of who he can trust.