In a small private estate in the north of Scotland an eleven year old girl disappears. No one notices because all the residents are enjoying the annual croquet party and an excess of alcohol. To the frustration of the police, the eleven residents are unable to agree on the sequence of events or potential suspects. That the missing girl is an identical twin confuses testimonies as well as the actual time of the disappearance. Each household has their own justification for not revealing everything to the police.
The second part of the book tells Olivia' story. Captive in a mansion on Ghana's Cape Coast, while treated well by her captor she is constantly vigilant, rehearsing plans to escape. The opportunity comes when he is stung by fire ant. Ill and bed ridden and reliant on her care she has, at last, what she wished for. But what is holding her back?
