When journalist Mike Stanhope is accused of libel, he’s determined to clear his name. His crime: he reported that a company was failing. Its owners claim that it's busy and flourishing, and they're not happy with him. Did he get it wrong, or is he the victim of an elaborate deception?

The unpredictable Trish, daughter of the company boss and a self-confessed admirer, seems eager to help him, but her real agenda is frustratingly unclear. Matters take a darker turn when Mike stumbles on a body in a wood. But when he returns later, it has vanished. Another illusion?

Gradually Mike’s investigation gets entangled in a much older mystery. What happened in the building that once stood at the corner of the factory site? Could it be the scene of an ancient crime … or something even more sinister?

Meanwhile, Mike strives to keep his relationship with his girlfriend Sam on an even keel, but he’s being pulled in a different direction.