A New Year's party sets off a train of events that results in death and disaster. The novel begins when Louise Copperfield wakes to a nightmare following a New Year's party which is the trigger for events that will bring Louise Copperfield and Charlotte Hoar face to face with their high school past, a time when both girls were sexually exploited by a teacher, David Bannister. Now adults, they have reacted in different ways to their experience; one with continuing emotional difficulties and the other with feelings of sexual worthlessness. Louise is betrayed by her husband and descends to the emotional depths. Louise's husband Frank Copperfield is a successful builder and businessman. He becomes entangled with the corrupt Stuart Larcombe as he attempts to build two new projects, a large shopping mall and a housing estate on land deemed unsuitable for such usage. Nigel Jones is the Town Planner. He accepts payment for promoting Larcombe's ventures.

His conditions for the approval of the building project are ignored and his protests to a Council heavily influenced by greed result in his resignation and disgrace. A drought followed by a downpour causing widespread damage creates an emergency situation where destruction and death are possible consequences.