With girlfriend DS Jacquie Carpenter back at investigating and little son, Nolan, a fast-growing six months, Peter ‘Mad Max' Maxwell, Head of Sixth Form at Leighford High, hires an au pair, Juanita Reyes. The summer slowly unfolds in sleepy seaside Leighford, and Juanita seems perfect, doting on the baby and working hard to improve her English.

Then, she goes missing. And so does Rodrigo Mendoza, a Spanish teacher at a neighboring school. When Rodrigo's body is found in a hurriedly dug grave, Maxwell rushes to Juanita's defence as the spotlight of suspicion descends upon her.

But then a second corpse appears . . .