After her parents are killed, a young girl is sent to London to live with her uncle and his family. Her uncle, who is a toymaker, secretly has the power to make his toys come to life, but he also maintains dictatorial control over his family and intends to exercise the same control over the new arrival.

D.C.I. Jane Tennison is a skilled, top-class detective, battling to prove herself in a male world. While investigating a murder, her strength of character and skills as a detective are put to the test as she exposes a cover-up within the force. And when a second murder victim is discovered, the inquiry turns into a grisly investigation stretching back over ten years.