DCI Roisin O'Connor and DS David Satchell investigate the apparent murder of Emily Harrogate who is found by her parents at the bottom of the cellar stairs. When the parents and their two younger children returned home the previous evening, they assumed she was in, but did not check. The girl's mother Diedre is a compulsive cleaner and cleaned the house before going to bed. When they found the girl the next morning, the distraught parents moved her to the study. Between the cleaning and moving the body, much of the evidence has been contaminated. The police suspect however that someone she knew killed her and eventually focus on a teen-aged neighbor, Michael Summerby. Det. Chief Supt. Michael Walker meanwhile works to ensure that a dangerous sociopath isn't released on parole. He's also having trouble with his 15-year old son who has become withdrawn and seems to have lost all interest in school. When the boy is arrested, Walker decides to take some time off to help him.
—garykmcd