The tension is palpable as Tess and Jerry Brennan sit in the drawing room of their wonderful house high above the sea, waiting for the police to arrive. Tess is facing the consequences of her own actions, innocently undertaken but devastating in their outcome; Jerry has been caught out in a misdemeanour, a transgression men have made since time began but one that in his case has repercussions that will mean the end of a successful career. Adding to Tess's agitation is the knowledge that her two best friends are facing parallel traumas of their own. Life skated along for the three couples until last summer when they all travelled to the village of Collioure in the south of France. Now they have everything to lose: their marriages, their family lives, and their friendships.