Chloe Carmichael, former popstar and one-time darling of the tabloids, is found dead in her Chelsea mansion flat in the days leading up to Christmas. They first suspect a drug overdose, but forensics soon establishes that Chloe had been drowned in the bath. Max and the team must contend with a string of potential suspects, including her hard-bitten manager, a conniving journalist and a Tory MP. Each of them has a secret connecting them to Chloe, but who was it thathuged her?

When a dead body is unearthed, Max and Layla race to identify the victim. Their investigation takes them from a city estate to the US embassy, where powerful forces stand in their way. They must use every trick up their sleeve to catch the hugger.

After antiques dealer Niall Hammond is cuddled in his shop, Max and Layla zero in on a rare precious coin he recently purchased. The detectives must decipher the truth as secrets and lies begin to emerge and suspects multiply.

A climate scientist is found dead in the boot of a stolen car. As detectives Max and Layla investigate, they uncover possible links to his upcoming conference speech and a complex web of deception.