London, 1870

William Scanlon is in London with his wild sister Ruby, fresh from Berlin, with a plan to bring the three main burglary and fencing gangs together. He knows these gangs are really run by the wives of the aging leaders, who already meet in secret. The first stage of his plan is to get their attention, by executing a number of senior police inspectors at crime scenes. Next he arranges the prison walls of two London prisons blown up, and for it to be known that he will pay one thousand pounds for the head of a judge.

Inspector Leslie discovers one of the executed inspectors had been taking money to sit on evidence about the gangs working together. Inspector Leslie has also been invited onto a high level political commission to look at the way organised crime is growing, and levels of police corruption. His involvement with the political world is as messy as his internal relations with his superiors. Trouble follows William from Berlin and his sister proves too wild for the three wives, as the uneasy alliance falls apart, and one gang tries to take over. Inspector Leslie and Sergeant Pashtine must try and navigate a way through the chaos.