John Tempest is offered a welcome job change, and he's delighted: not only will the new position bring the chance of promotion, but also the opportunity for his family to escape suburban London for a better quality of life in the old Dorset village of Tip Hollow. His wife, Helen, is subdued about the news. The move will mean uprooting the family from familiar surroundings and friends. But it's not just that. Despite its beauty, Tip Hollow seems somehow desolate. And something about their future home just doesn't feel right ...