When a lauded documentary filmmaker sets foot in Julia's Café in the charming village of Peridale deep in the Cotswolds, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. They arrive to celebrate the completion of Barker Brown's much-anticipated second novel, casting the quaint town and its colourful inhabitants into the limelight. But as the excitement of the filming reverberates in the air, a chilling mystery unfolds under the glow of a full moon, drawing Julia and Barker into the heart of an enigma.
The peace in Peridale shatters with the shocking discovery of Arthur Foster's body. Barker, a private investigator, had been tasked with locating Foster—an infamous arsonist—on behalf of the troubled Knight family. Found murdered in an eerie, abandoned forest dwelling adorned with candles and cryptic symbols, the crime scene hints at a sinister, perhaps ancient ritual behind the murder.
As the camera lens captures their every move, Julia and Barker find themselves swept into the complex web of an investigation. From arson to gangs, and hushed whispers of a moon-centric cult, they must untangle the connections and hidden truths as reality and fiction intertwine, blurring the lines between Barker's novels and the mysteries unfolding in real life.