A sharp detective with a messy life, DCI Vera Stanhope patrols her “patch” of northeast England, pursuing the truth in cases of murder, kidnapping, and blackmail. Vera is obsessive about her work and faces the world with caustic wit, guile and courage.

Desperate and frustrated by the stale monotony of his life, Rameshwar, a naive auto-rickshaw driver, decides to trade in a good night's sleep for a chance to earn a quick buck, while his family's future hangs in the balance.

Inner-city girl Grace doesn't want to spend a week in the country helping her parents save their marriage. Country boy Say finds Grace both obnoxious and attractive. Amongst the scenic grandeur of the dying days of summer the pair search for distraction and, against all odds, find each other.