Maddie makes contact with a former lover, the owner of a beautiful private estate on the outskirts of Sydney, whom she had abandoned for another man six years earlier. She appears to be welcomed back and the affair starts again. 
The lover has changed in her absence, developing macabre ideas about the physical manifestation of human love. He weaves a complex story concerning his beliefs, disclosing details of several murders he has committed to further his aims. She soon discovers he harbours a strong resentment towards her earlier ‘disloyalty’, and his desire for revenge becomes frighteningly apparent. 
Mental cruelty morphs into physical abuse. She must fight back to free herself. Her efforts result in the self-realisation of some intriguing and rather frightening character traits. The outcome is the death of her lover and a surprising emotional climax. 
Her desire to take control of the estate motivates her to dispose of the body and embark on an elaborate cover-up. However, all is far from well for Maddie who plunges from crisis to crisis until the amazing ending of this cliff-hanger story.