Karen Matthews, a mother known for her abrasive language, is tired of living in obscurity and devises a clever scheme to gain fame. Her partner, Craig Meehan, is preoccupied with his laptop to an unhealthy degree. Meanwhile, her uncle, Michael Donovan, struggles with the absence of his two daughters, who have been placed in foster care. Detective Inspector Radgitt, a typical Yorkshire police officer, is in a desperate race against time to untangle the deceit and locate the missing nine-year-old girl, Shannon Matthews.