Bob Beaumont, retired from the Royal Military Police, is running his own detective agency from offices in Burcastle, a town in the North West of England. His PA, Liz Parker, has aspirations of becoming a detective despite her disadvantaged upbringing.

Bob's routine investigation of a marital infidelity case leads to evidence of an association between a leading member of the Burcastle Borough Council, Jeremy Marsden, and members of a local gang led by Jimmy Beagle. Bob Beaumont deepens his investigation and reveals suspicion of widespread corruption and murder. As he pieces the jigsaw together, he is forcibly abducted and his life threatened.

Against this background of intrigue, violence and threat to the well-being of local government, Bob develops a relationship with the Head of Personnel but becomes increasingly fascinated by the wife of the principal suspect.