Detective Sara Hirst has moved from London to Norfolk Police's Serious Crimes Unit.
Carnival week in Cromer. It's been an easy-going summer for the Norfolk Police's Serious Crimes Unit - until this morning.
The body of Daisy Shaw, the Carnival Queen, is discovered in a back alley, stretched out on the cobbles. Her long blonde hair lies matted and dishevelled around her head, her fingers clutch a sparkly plastic tiara.
Suspicion falls on the carnival crew, especially when it turns out that one of them is Daisy's boyfriend.
The atmosphere in Cromer soon grows nasty. The town turns against the outsiders. The roads are closed. The town descends into chaos. And the murder detectives are right in the thick of it, trying to piece together what happened to Daisy.
The close-knit carnival community is all too used to prejudice and none too keen on helping the police.
Meanwhile, both Sara's mother and boyfriend have bombshells to drop. Can Sara solve the case before anyone else gets hurt?