In this gripping psychological thriller, S. J. Watson, the internationally bestselling author of Before I Go to Sleep, explores themes of memory and identity as a young documentary filmmaker travels to a quiet fishing village to shoot a new film, only to encounter a dark mystery surrounding the disappearance of a local girl.

The only thing people used to know about Blackwood Bay, a small village in northern England, was that its coastline was the scene of a smuggling operation centuries ago — that is, until two local girls disappear and bring the town dark notoriety.

When Alex, a burgeoning documentary filmmaker, learns that she is being sent to Blackwood Bay, she plans to have the residents record their own stories.

But when she arrives, the disappearance of the two girls gets under her skin, and she starts asking questions.

Finding the townsfolk defensive and reluctant to talk only makes her dig deeper.

As Alex learns more about the town and what has happened there, her project and her past threaten to collide.