In his darkest and most complex case to date, DI Ted Darling has to confront demons from his own past when investigating the brutal murder of a young boy. As more deaths follow, he realises he's up against powerful people who believe themselves to be above the law, and starts to feel out of his depth. Just how high up does it go? At the same time he has to cope with a new boss, much more formal than his old one, who increasingly makes him feel he's not up to the challenge. It all starts to put an intolerable strain on Ted's long-term stable relationship with his partner, Trevor.