The outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914, and its anniversary in the summer of 2014, are the starting points for another Madeleine Porter mystery.

As part of the commemoration she is asked to research the names on the local war memorial, and, if possible, to find any living descendants. In doing so she discovers stories of tragedy and loss, not only from 1914, but also from fifty years later in 1964, during another long, hot summer.

A brutal attack on a young man which was unsatisfactorily investigated, personal sadness and years of separation are all brought to light by Madeleine and new husband, Ian, during their investigations. At the same time, they are trying to resolve a seemingly simple enquiry about the family of a young woman, who barely remembers her mother.

As the summer of 2014 unfolds, lives are changed forever as long-lost truths emerge.