Viscount Peveril’s grandson, George, has gone missing, and DCI Alexander (Sandy) McFarlane has been asked by the family to investigate his disappearance. After commencing his search in Norfolk and Derbyshire, Sandy soon finds himself in Manitoba, Canada, trying to locate George and the two friends he has run away with. Across the ocean, in Derby city centre, a young police officer is found having been shot dead by suspected drug dealers, and a large-scale police investigation is set in motion to catch his killers. Before long, Sandy’s investigation into George’s disappearance and the murder of the young police officer collide, and Sandy finds himself in conflict with the senior officer leading the murder case as they try to unravel the truth.