"The aftermath of the car-park had been a nightmare. Seeing this huge guy reduced to a bag of inconsequential bones was one thing. Having to stand aside while others tore his belongings, his character and his life to shreds was impossible to bear. To then, sit through the court proceedings, which put everything under the microscope for the world to tear apart all over again. Well...needless to say, Hanks had not slept properly for weeks. His feelings of blame had wrapped him in a bodysuit with a thorn lining. Whichever way he turned, he bled."Sergeant Trevor Hanks is the only person left visiting his friend, Steve Holland. The world may have consigned the former Police detective to a secure room, with bars on the windows and guards in the corridors, but Hanks' guilt keeps him making the journey and hating every minute of it. An unexpected turn of events sees the Sergeant track down an old friend of Holland's, who might be able to clear his name. But two major obstacles remain; the self-serving D.I. Foss and the killer, who so skillfully engineered Holland's destruction.Returned and reinstated, D.C. Holland must find a way to come to terms with everything that has happened and deal with unshakable feelings of loss and fear. However, Swindon SOCIT becomes involved in a brutal murder, leading Holland to question his effectiveness as a member of the Serious Crime team. Two more murders then occur, in quick succession and events around the town begin to spiral out of control.Attempts to progress a grinding investigation take the Serious Crime team onto increasingly dangerous streets. Desperate for a break and with the hierarchy beginning to pressurise the new Detective Inspector, Hanks and Holland have to pool their knowledge and energy. A chance find puts them on the trail of a suspect, but neither of them can predict where the path actually leads…