David Whitehead, an international television reporter, returns to his home town of Southcliffe in the wake of a major tragedy. Reclusive handy-man Stephen Morton, known as the Commander and carer to an elderly mother, has gone on a motiveless killing spree. Some time before the event Stephen had befriended Chris Cooper, a young soldier returned from Afghanistan, claiming a common military background. Stephen takes the lad on military manoeuvres though Chris is perturbed by the older man's excessive zeal, especially when he is injured by Stephen, which ends the ...

As the news breaks that fifteen people have died in the shootings David drives to Southcliffe, telling colleague Anthony the town holds bad memories for him. In the days before the violence broke out Claire Salter, social worker to Stephen's mother Queenie, notices his isolation and suggests he socialize. Though they have a daughter Anna, shortly to leave home for university, Claire and husband Andrew consider IVF for a second child as Claire has difficulty conceiving. Pub landlord Paul Gould, to the disgust of his brother Geoff, is having an affair with a younger ...

Claire and Andrew learn that Anna was one of the victims as were Paul's wife and children. Whilst Claire cannot bear to see her daughter in the morgue Paul, consumed with guilt over his affair, goes to pieces, pouring petrol over his house and taking his niece to play on the railway lines before indulging in dangerous activities on a motorway bridge. At his wife's funeral he bans the wearing of black and insists the Wedding March be played. David explains to Anthony that, as a child, he played with Stephen Morton, who was always very odd and obsessed with creatures on...

A year has passed. David's drunken rant has cost him his job and his marriage and he is living in a bed-sit when he receives an anonymous letter reading Happy Returns, leading him to wonder if Morton is still alive. It determines him to return to Southcliffe though Anthony refuses to accompany him. Claire is still grieving, having turned Anna's room into a shrine and obsessing about Maria, a friend of her daughter whom she believes to be the victim of sex-slavers. It takes a while for Andrew to ultimately get through to her. Chris has not rejoined the Army, staying in...