The novel begins with two pieces of evidence: the “About Us” page of the Snoop company website and a BBC news article. The “About Us” page lists the main shareholders and high-ranked professionals of the music eavesdropping smartphone application Snoop. Topher and Eva are cofounders and main shareholders. Rik is the chief financial officer, and Elliot is the code writer for the application. Tiger and Miranda both take care of personal relations, though Miranda is press-focused while Tiger is client-focused. Carl is the company’s lawyer. Inigo works as Topher’s personal assistant, while Ani works as Eva’s.

The BBC article details the death of four English citizens at a French Alps ski resort. A spokesperson for the British embassy confesses that the deaths are being investigated as murders.

The timeline then skips to five days earlier, and the novel is told from two different perspectives. The narrative starts with Liz, a shy woman who arrives at the French Alps with the other staff members of Snoop. It then switches to Erin, one of the hosts of the French ski resort Chalet Perce-Neige (Snowdrop Castle). She and Danny, chef and fellow host, talk about the guests while preparing for their arrival.