I stand at the front door and meticulously check my reflection in the glass. I must look perfect to meet Lou's new boyfriend. I haven't been invited but best friends don't require invitations, right? Her presence has always been a constant, demanding focus in my life. Now, however, it's evolving into something deeper, with unsettling imitations and intrusive encroachments into every aspect of my world. The struggle to create distance only seems to intensify Donna's attachment, Pulling her dangerously closer.

When pub owner Debra is with staff member Jay, she feels like a woman half her age. She’s entitled to some "harmless fun" to distract her from boredom and her newly acquired empty nest status. Especially as the days are ticking by until Jay will be leaving for good.

Fiona keeps herself to herself - it is safer that way. She allows few people to get close, having learned the hard way that most have their own agendas. Lowering her barriers and trusting her husband Rob is a decision she has reason to regret. His indiscretions were coming to light even before the news of his hit and run killing one summer afternoon.

Ed and Kerry Huntington-Barnes have an idyllic life, with their 5-year-old twins, successful careers, a luxurious house and an affluent lifestyle. Yet the secrets they’re harboring force their separation. Kerry is fighting her own demons, amongst which is the knowledge that she is the wrong gender for her husband to ever truly love her. Parallel to this it the death of a local man, Russell Lawson, which affects both Ed and Kerry in different ways.

I was so nervous about someone new joining our house share. After everything that happened with my parents, my friends are like my family. Our imperfect, but well-loved house is the only place where I can be myself. But when Poppy knocks on our door, blonde hair, wide eyes, and a friendly smile, we all agree she’s a perfect fit. I just wish I could shake the feeling that I’ve seen her before…

Melody gazes across the rippling lake to the trees on the shore, waiting for her fiancé Evan to arrive so their family holiday can begin. Here in this cabin in a small Canadian island town, there’s so much space for their son to play. It’s going to be perfect–just like the first time Melody visited as a child. But then, a call from Evan shatters her world.

When university lecturer Nicola meets Hugh, she knows immediately that getting over her father’s suicide and being dumped by her former long-term partner are events she can now recover from. But to the exclusion of all others, Hugh swiftly assumes control over Nicola’s life. Even when caution is urged by everyone around her, it doesn’t stop Nicole rushing headlong into a marriage that grants Hugh access to her money, her home, her heart, and then her mind.

Everyone thinks I’m living the perfect life. I have my dream job, a stunning apartment, and glamourous friends – who know nothing about my dark past. So I’m shocked when I run into Anna, who I haven’t seen in eighteen years. Everything about her reminds me of the life I’ve left behind. But as her eyes fill with tears and she tells me she’s lost her job and can’t pay her rent, I reluctantly offer her my spare room.

Marcella Middleton has always tried to live a good life, but after losing her job, her boyfriend, and her home, she's tired of playing by the rules. But she has a plan. She's going to trick her way into Carmel and Rufus's home, that sickeningly perfect couple with the amazing, renovated farmhouse they're always boasting about in those glamorous lifestyle magazines. She'll tell them she only wants to stay for a few days, even though she never intends to leave. She has no idea the house is haunted by the ghosts of the past. Or that the couple have a sinister hidden agenda of their own.

Everything my husband and I have always dreamt of has finally come true. Our new home with its open-plan kitchen and marble countertops couldn’t be further from the small, damp flat where we lived only months ago. I’d hoped this would be our fresh start, an escape from my past, but the handwritten note that arrived on our doorstep makes my blood run cold – you don’t deserve this life.

I open the front door and there’s Amy, smiling sweetly and ready to help. She’s been a lifesaver since Jon and I moved here–from walking the dog to picking up my little son Teddy from nursery last minute. I’m so lucky we met in the playground the first day we arrived. Amy is more than just a good friend. My only friend, really. Whenever Amy and Jon exchange glances I’m sure it seems like they’ve met before, even though Jon swears they haven’t. But then again Jon recognises lots of people from his childhood round here without truly knowing them.

Neil’s life is in freefall. He and wife, Sacha can’t conceive, and he’s losing the fight against drinking and depression. His December days feel dark enough but the reality of spending Christmas with the in-laws from hell, including his terminally ill father in law, threaten to send him right over the edge. Christy, Sacha’s sister ultimately has to pick up the pieces of their fractured family. Will she ever be able to put them back together?

For Joel and Stella, it’s the trip they’ve been dreaming about. Fresh air, quiet time in the woods, and no work to distract them from each other. Being a new couple, they don’t waste any time with their first full weekend away together. But their perfect getaway turns into a nightmare when an accident occurs and they find a dead woman lying outside their cabin. Clearly, they have to call the police, but what Joel reveals to Stella makes her understand there’s no way they can get the authorities involved.

I know Benjamin’s new business is in trouble, that he desperately needs your money. I saw the way Gwyn looked at him at your wedding reception, finding any excuse to be close, to laugh too loudly at his jokes. After all, she always wanted your perfect life. But don’t worry, Madeline. I won’t let it end like this. I can see everything from my place in the shadows between the trees. With their house lit up, they are on display. I’ll bide my time and worm my way into their home, their lives. They will never know the truth about who I am.

When I first walked into Jake and Megan’s immaculate home, I felt totally at ease. Sitting in the crisp white living room, they held hands and talked lovingly about their baby girl, Fern. As the weeks passed, I began to think I’d made a mistake in taking the job. Jake was overly friendly from the start, watching my every move and always offering to drop me home, even though it was out of his way. And Megan seemed to take pleasure in telling me off in front of her husband, blaming me for things I hadn’t done.