Riding his motorcycle through the frosty back roads in the country is Detective Sergeant Donovan's idea of relaxation: Walking in on the armed robbery of a Castlemere gas station isn't. Donovan pursues the thief, but the chase ends in a horrible accident. The nineteen-year-old driver of the get-away van survives the crash, thanks largely to Donovan himself, who plunges into the burning wreckage and pulls the young man to safety. Unfortunately, it turns out that the accused robber is none other than Mikey Dickens, youngest son of a local crime family, and the Dickens family solicitor knows some good tricks for getting her clients released. Donovan, supported by Detective Superintendent Frank Shapiro and Detective Inspector Liz Graham, is determined to prove Mikey's guilt. But has he finally met his match?