Steve Polson is the beleaguered owner/manager of a construction company in the town of Tumanako in the central North Island of New Zealand. His company, the major employer in the district, is battling a saboteur who is endangering the health of the community. Bethany Callendar, the town's mayor, has declared war against a scourge of illegal drugs which has enveloped her son Rob. Felicity Spratt, reporter, is probing the district's drugs scene. Simon Hurley is the dedicated leader of an environmental group which is striving to raise awareness of climate change amidst hostility and apathy. There are secrets that tear relationships apart.

The town that couldn't trust' explores the issue of destructive forces within the individual, within society, and within the world. Despite the serious topical issues, the novel is shot through with humour.