A body discovered in a receding lake shatters the quiet of a small Irish valley and irrevocably alters the life of a young landlady. Peggy Casey, the 23-year-old landlady of The Angler's Rest, finds her world upended when a corpse surfaces in the manmade lake in September 1975. Detective Sergeant Frank Ryan arrives from Dublin, his investigation immediately probing the valley's troubled past and the complex dynamics within Peggy's own family. As Ryan delves deeper over the weekend, he unearths not only the truth behind the victim's demise but also the deeply buried secrets of the Casey siblings, secrets that threaten to unravel their lives.

The premise sets up a classic murder mystery interwoven with a rich family drama, suggesting a narrative that balances suspense with character-driven conflict. The 1970s Irish setting provides a specific historical and cultural backdrop that likely influences the characters' motivations and the unfolding events. The focus on 'damaged history' and 'deepest secrets' points towards a story that will explore the psychological and emotional repercussions of past actions on the present. Readers can anticipate a plot that gradually reveals truths, culminating in a resolution that exposes the core of the Casey family's hidden past.