DS Jo Howe is called to the murder of a young man. When she arrives, she knows instantly who the victim is: Harry Cooke, a promising young footballer and crucially, Chief Superintendent Phil Cooke's son. Forced to deliver the news to her boss (which, given their previous affair, creates its own set of problems), Phil's terminally ill wife, Ruth, collapses and is rushed to hospital.
After Phil receives a mysterious and sinister phone call, instructing him to pay 100k to have Harry's killer found and 'dealt with', he balks, but after more calls and a devastating blackmail threat, he eventually agrees. His conflict with his bosses reaches a crescendo and, in a fit of pique, he retires from the police and Jo takes over. In a final twist of the knife, the blackmailers force Phil to stand for election as Police and Crime Commissioner which, if won, places the entire Brighton police force and larger community in grave danger for, if you can't trust the ones who are meant to protect you, where can you turn?