Maverick detective Dave Cunane steps in when he sees a thug knocking Marti King around, but his actions are misinterpreted not only by her heavy-duty relatives but also his own nearest and dearest - Marti's one of those girls you shouldn't get involved with. When Dave comes across her again, he learns that her father, Vince, is doing life for a double murder, and she's looking for someone to prove his innocence. Dave makes tentative enquiries - and the bodies begin to pile up. Neither he nor the Manchester police can make sense of the killings, only Dave's become a little too close to them to be free from suspicion. Temperatures are about to hit boiling point, but to cool things down, Dave needs to find answers to questions no one wants asked.