Beneath his charming exterior, eighteen-year-old Darcy Woodard struggles with feelings of alienation despite his intelligence and artistic talents. While admired by teachers and former policewoman Steph Grant, who works at his college, Darcy grapples with online bullying that exacerbates his sense of not belonging. The story delves into themes of identity and the impact of social pressures on youth.
Edmund Fitzgerald is different. Sheltered by an over-protective mother, he's a musical prodigy. Now, against his mother's wishes, he's about to enter formal education for the first time aged sixteen. Everything is alien to Edmund: teenage style, language and relationships are impossible to understand. Then there's the searing jealousy his talent inspires, especially when the sixth form college's Head of Music, turns her back on her other students and begins to teach Edmund exclusively. Observing events is Steph, a former police detective who is rebuilding her life following a bereavement as the college's receptionist. When a student is found dead in the music block, Steph's sleuthing skills help to unravel the dark events engulfing the college community.
Hector Percy enjoys a seemingly perfect life at Glebe Hall with his wife Esme, son Jack, and their close friends. However, he is plagued by anxiety over losing his inheritance, a fear that Esme shares as their idyllic existence begins to unravel. The story delves into the fragility of their happiness and the looming threat to their carefully constructed life, exploring themes of entitlement, fear, and the impact of external pressures on personal relationships.