Based on Sarah Vaughan's bestselling novel of the same name, it focuses on the scandals of Britain's privileged elite and the women involved. The original novel tells the story of an ambitious Westminster politician whose marriage breaks down after he is accused of rape. His wife believes that her husband is innocent, while the prosecutor is equally convinced that he is guilty. Friend plays James Whitehouse, an ambitious and charismatic junior minister who has always shared his wife's good fortune. Miller plays his wife Sophie, who graduated from Oxford University and has two children. Her seemingly perfect life is about to be detonated. Dockery plays Kate Woodcroft, a criminal lawyer and queen counsel who specializes in sexual crimes. She has risen rapidly in her field and has just taken over a case that is rare in a century.