During the blackout of 1944, in the small English town of Hurstwick, something mysterious obliterates the church spire and slices through the nearby woods. Locals and the authorities suspect a secret Nazi weapon, but evacuee George Moss finds an otherworldly explanation, which must remain hidden. Years later, Max Cannon moves to town. With help from his new friends, Ellie and Isaac, he learns of the secret that some residents have guarded for over seven decades. When that secret is threatened with exposure, strange things occur, and the army descends on Hurstwick. As does a visitor from much further afield, leaving Max and his friends in the middle of a deadly struggle...