After a period in which he experiences twists and turns between the quiet life, romance, and danger, as in the earlier book, Little Arrows, John Davis opts for a life of married bliss. However, things do not turn out as planned, and he finds himself back in the fight against crime—his attitude uncompromising, his methods often as violent as those he pursues—and his belief that criminals should experience something of what they hand out before the law, often inadequate in his eyes, takes its course.