The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart. Leading the investigation are two detectives – the strong yet compassionate local Detective Sergeant, Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman), and the by-the-book Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant), Ellie’s newly appointed boss. By circumstance they are partnered to solve the murder, keeping the newspapers from derailing the investigation and trying to prevent the crime from impacting tourism at the beach where the boy was murdered.