Welcome to Hammerton - a nice place to live. You'll want to stay forever... ...or flee within a day. Terraced cottages and cobbled streets adorn this quaint, picturesque village; all surrounded by raging seas and towering rocks. Its endless beauty is encapsulated by its inhabitants: retiring gentlefolk, hardworking entrepreneurs, and those still striving to make a difference in life. However, not all is as peaceful as it seems. Dark sensibilities lie at the heart of those who call Hammerton home. Violence, murder, conspiracy, imprisonment, and hatred (plus a dash of cupcake making) are never far away. The epic new novel by Matthew Reeve tells the tale of an ensemble group of characters across one eventful weekend, told primarily from the point of view of its nine major protagonists. Yet it is the village itself which is the star - its inhabitants the organisms which bring it to life.