A farm kill butcher, Philip Zinsli marries for money in order to achieve his ambition of owning a large farm in the South Island of New Zealand. After his wife leaves him Zinsli finds he needs more land he launches a campaign of vandalism to force his neighbouring farmer to sell up. When the area is cut off from the rest of the country by an earthquake Richard West and his wife Alex and daughter Jo are trapped in their car. They manage to escape and find their way to the Somerville farm. Finding the farm deserted and evidence of a recent fire, the West family set about uncovering what has happened. Zinsli decides that the West family must join his other victim.