Goldy Notay

The story begins as handsome and soulful former soldier, John Beecham, has acquired the house to start a new life for his family and a business as a trader. Wealthy and distinguished, John has witnessed profiteering and exploitation during his time with the controlling East India Company and appears haunted by his past. Determined to escape that life, he sets his sights on becoming an honorable member of the region's trading community. But in the glorious setting of Beecham House, John's life remains shrouded in mystery. His arrival provokes speculation and gossip amongst the servants and despite filling his residence with relatives and friends, Beecham's house still has dark corners that crackle with conspiracy, disharmony and sinister intent. The story also unfolds at a time when the 1,000-year-old Mughal rule is over and the British vie with the Maharajas to claim India as their own.

Following a shocking incident amongst an otherwise normal family, 30 year-old Mark Nicholas returns to the town where he grew up. After ten years away, coming home to Renton is harder than Mark could ever have imagined. He always had a strained relationship with his parents, his grandmother Bettyis now living in his childhood bedroom and he barely knows his teenage sister Jodie. Mark starts to be drawn back into the life he left behind. Most of his school friends still live in the town but he finds it hard to re-connect with them. Hardest of all is meeting his first love Alice who stayed behind when he left. They still have strong feelings for each other but Alice is now married with a child. Mark struggles to decide whether he should stay permanently to be with his family. But a new life is difficult to build in the place you used to call home and it now feels like you barely know it.