Newlyweds Jim and Sarah are welcomed home from their honeymoon to the Scottish island of Kinness with a huge celebration and the whole island is present to witness the bitter end. But did Jim's younger sister Mary fall? Or was she pushed? George Palmer-Jones retired birdwatcher and amateur detective suspects the latter but proving it will be difficult - no one wants to upset the balance of the island's ancient relationships. There are definitely secrets being hidden and George helped by Sarah begin to piece together a tragic story he wishes he had never heard. Kinness is a paradise lost.