Alison Harper might be considered a woman who has it all husband, four healthy children, friends, and a farmhouse home in a beautiful setting, even a temperamental Aga. But, as a new year unfolds, unforeseen events and issues arise, some trivial and easily dealt with, others that are matters of life and death. There are mysteries too. What is the connection between her 15 year old son and the vicar s daughter? Why has her 9 year old suddenly begun stealing? And who is the strange man who watches children in the school playground from the shelter of the trees? Ali aims to discover the answers, and sometimes finds herself with more than she can handle.