Henry Hamilton and his family live in a small Worcestershire village and are very comfortably off, his property business is fairly successful and shortly after he had bought the Lordship of the manor and a small quarry, road building in the area suddenly expanded and so did the demands on the quarry. Recently the building of a wind farm requiring deep foundations for the pylons and consequently paying him rent, had raised his income well past the 'comfortable' level - he was undeniably extremely well off. The Hall is being prepared for the annual Village Christmas Party when he receives an email and attachment. The attachment is a video of his daughter being tormented sexually in a long BDSM session; it is quite explicit and leaves the viewer in no doubt about the identity of the victim. The accompanying message demands one and a half million pounds or the video will be published on the Internet. He and his wife Melinda are horrified and arrangements to pay the ransom are made immediately but that is not the end of the matter ...