On January 2, 2019, Heather, who works at the lodge in Loch Corrin, sees Doug, the gamekeeper, run toward the lodge through the falling snow. He tells her that he found the body of the missing guest.

The narrative flashes back to three days earlier. Loch Corrin is a Highland wilderness resort. For most of the year, it’s a private residence, but four times a year the owners allow one party to reserve it. Emma is pleased that her party was able to reserve it for a popular time—New Year’s Eve—for their reunion of university friends. She’s eager to make the reunion successful and fun.

Katie and her friends travel by train to Loch Corrin. She feels self-conscious being single when the others are couples. At the train station, Loch Corrin’s gamekeeper, a young good-looking man, picks them up. During the drive to the lodge at Loch Corrin, a red stag suddenly leaps onto the road in their path and stares them down before leaping away. Miranda tries to get Katie to pay attention to the attractive gamekeeper. Katie muses that although Miranda has never liked Katie’s boyfriends, Katie wouldn’t have picked Miranda’s longtime partner, Julien, for her either.