DS Dennis Milne is waiting to kill three unarmed men. Cynical and jaded, he likes to think that he's only hurting those who deserve it. But this time he's been duped. Instead of shooting drug dealers, he kills two respectable customs officers and an accountant - and suddenly Milne, his lucrative sideline and what remains of his conscience are heading for trouble.

Twelve hours later he's back on duty in London's King's Cross. Eighteen-year-old Miriam Fox has been found dead by Regent's Canal - her throat slashed. Milne's dogged enquiries into the murky world of the teenage vice trade soon implicate fellow police officers and the mysterious manager of the hostel where Miriam once stayed.

With his own crimes returning to haunt him, Milne uncovers a web of depravity more shocking than he could ever have imagined.