What Thomas Bland, formerly senior manager, now plain senior, expects upon his retirement in the seaside city of Durban isn't remotely what he gets. His wife, Caro, leaves him and he loses his friends through betrayal, illness and murder. All the while, socio-political storm clouds are gathering over South Africa. Tom gets caught up in events bigger than he could have ever imagined, and he has to fight for his life and love. The author skilfully sets a small, tightly knit group of characters within a philosophical and moral framework, against a background of a corrupt country sliding out of control.