Holding is set in the fictional village of Duneen, West Cork, on the outskirts of Ireland, a place with its own climate and rhythms. The local police officer, Sergeant PJ Collins, is a gentle giant of a man, who hides from people and fills his days with comfort food and half-hearted police work. When the body of long-lost local legend Tommy Burke is discovered, PJ is called upon to solve a serious crime for the first time in his career. PJ must finally make contact with the village he has tried so hard to avoid.