Episode 1.1
Written by Ann McManus, Maureen Chadwick & Liz Lake
Produced by Brian Park
Directed by Sheree Folkson
Ellie Lagden is released from prison after serving four years for fraud and she’s barely given chance to draw breath before her gangster husband Roy enlists her help for yet another dodgy deal: the sale of a stolen diamond necklace for £3,000,000. Roy waits for Ellie to exchange the diamonds, totally oblivious of the fact that his wife knows all about his secret girlfriend and their child and plans to gain her revenge by making off with his cash. Also in on the plan are three of Ellie’s fellow ex-cons – Hannah Temple, Shoo Coggan and Josie Porritt – and with their help, the robbery goes off without a hitch. A tip-off to the police takes care of Roy, and with him now safely in custody, their plan to escape to Barbados is now surely only a plane ride away... that is until the woman in possession of their fake passports – another ex-con called Mandy Stringer – drops dead of a heart attack at the airport.
With their escape plans in tatters and Roy’s vengeful hitman, Marius, hot on their tails, the girls travel north by train to Scotland where they eventually stumble across what seems like the perfect hideaway – a remote village called Hope Springs and a ramshackle hotel run by a cantankerous elderly local woman called Sadie Cairncross. Knowing they need to become legit if they’re ever going to realise their Caribbean dream, Ellie decides that the gang should buy the hotel as cover. Hannah, Josie and Shoo are horrified, and they’re not the only ones with doubts...
Sadie’s pushy pregnant daughter, Ann Marie, is less than impressed by the newcomers, as is local lawyer, Euan Harries and his hot-headed son Ronan. Ellie’s decision to allow Sadie to stay on as a sitting tenant has ruined Ann Marie’s scheme to move her into a retirement home and sell the hotel to Euan who’s been after the land for years. Euan is furious, and when Ellie sees straight through his attempt to turn on the charm, he orders Ann Marie to talk Sadie round, or else. When Ann Marie turns up at the hotel, the sparks between her and Ellie start to fly, but with Sadie continuing to stand her ground, Ann Marie definitely comes off the worst. If that wasn’t enough, the girls also find themselves attracting unwanted police attention from local DI Gil Cameron, Ann Marie’s fiancé.
Fearing that the locals will revolt towards their original plan to shut the hotel down and lie low, the girls are forced to about turn and run it as a legitimate business. Although Hannah and Josie happily get stuck into their respective jobs – pulling pints and cleaning glasses – a moody Shoo isn’t happy. She’s already had to deal with being bitten to death by midges, confrontations with the local wildlife and sharing a cramped caravan with Josie – not exactly the typical lifestyle of a multi-millionaire. Just when it looks like she’s about to down tools, her head is turned by handsome local lad and part-time barman, Dean McKenzie. As the caravan starts rocking, suddenly life doesn’t look so after all...
But when an argument breaks out between arch-enemies Ronan and Dean, the girls are shocked to discover that their Scottish hideaway is home to an ongoing murder investigation... the absolute last thing they need. Ellie feels that she and the girls have no choice but to abandon the hotel and move on. However, Ellie’s earlier confrontation with Ronan may have put pay to their plans of a quick getaway when he decides to take his revenge by setting fire to the hotel. Luckily, Gil is on hand to rescue a trapped Ellie from her bedroom, while surprise hero Euan sets about tackling the flames, but it’s much too late to save the bundles of cash hidden in Ellie’s bedroom. As the girls gather around the charred remains of their ticket to an easy life in the sunshine, Ellie does her best to remain cheerful; after all, things could be worse... like the body lying underneath the floorboards in the bar for instance?