The story of a university student who leads a protest against an Asian security conference in Canberra which has been organised by his father the Australian Defence Minister. His life and his demonstration become disrupted.

Peter Ashbury is a young man who lives on Palm Beach, Sydney, with an expensive wife Mary and house he cannot afford. Their neighbours and close friends are Liz and Charles Barcher. He makes a £25,000 bet to murder Liz, the wife of the wealthy Charles. When the wife dies, blame attaches to Peter and then to his wife Mary.