To the villagers of Otterhaven, incomers are bad news. Marnie, returning to the U.K. from Australia to be reunited with her wayward daughter, Chloe, soon discovers this. Her solicitor, Polly, reveals that, sadly, her mother, Alison, Marnie's old school friend, has Alzheimer's. "We know why she said she came home . . . " mutter villagers, mistakenly concluding that Marnie intends to ensnare Luke, Alison's husband. Taking Sides tells of Marnie's attitude towards a son-in-law and her own son, and how a woman alone copes with malicious gossip. What does the future hold for Marnie?