David Parker is disoriented: emotionally, professionally, and far, far from home. The dynamism of LAall cosmetic perfection and streams of racing trafficis too much after leafy Tufnell Park, and his wifes grace in embracing their new life unnerves him. After a party one night in the Hollywood Hills, he is drawn into the orbit of Astrid and her exotic coterie. When one of their number drowns in his presence, his bond with them is suddenly and scaringly permanent. Ever the hapless detective, David finds himself negotiating a world spinning out of his control: one in which exposure is all, truth is relative, news is entertainment, and misunderstandings are either comic, or deadly.