An archetypal English village is overturned by Britain's surveillance society, and lives are destroyed by the government's anti-terror legislation.
A mysterious visitor to the English village of New Amber secures work in Westminster for Pam, a single mother. Brilliant though embittered, Pam falls in love with a gifted senior civil servant who is passionate about individual freedom. The enigmatic ‘EPS’ seems to have engineered their affair.
An inner London gangster is entrapped by one of her victims. He persuades her to rescue the daughter of New Amber's senior school teacher from a protest march that turns violent – but why?
A government adviser manipulates the local council into piloting the National Identity Card Scheme in New Amber; misfortunes befall everyone who objects.
A Muslim medical student is arrested for hanging a poster in her bedroom; her family is put under surveillance.
These various chains of events, narrated in turn by the characters involved, are drawn together with devastating consequences for a way of life and the people who live it. But who is pulling the strings?
Welcome to 21st century Britain. Your safety and security are our overriding concern. You will always be watched. For your own good.