When the brutally murdered body of a Manchester drug dealer is found dumped just inside the Lancashire border, it turns out that the dead man had been a CID informant working for a small nucleus of corrupt detectives.

Then a high-profile trial of a Manchester gangster collapses in disarray, amid accusations of police misconduct. Thrust into the investigation of the drug dealer’s death is DCI Henry Christie, recently returned to work after a period of suspension.

Hoping for a gentle re-entry into the job, Christie is instead plunged headlong into a complex murder investigation which has far-reaching consequences for the police service…