Ted was convicted in the eyes of the public of raping a young teenage girl. But he didn't do it, and the courts couldn't convict him of it. After being released from prison he heads to the outskirts of society to get as far away from people as possible. But he can't distance himself from everyone. He's taken up working cases in the area he lives with Amanda, a quirky convicted murderer - now PI, while trying to prove his innocence of a crime he didn't commit. And swans. Because apparently he has to have his quirks, and adopting swans is it. The book is definitely compelling and interesting, but isn't necessarily a can't put it down page turner.