Once the top criminal lawyer at the Bar, Blair Armstrong SC has succumbed to an overwhelming melancholy following the loss of his wife. Now he is lured back from early retirement to defend one last great cause and, in the process, confront his demons. Blair is enthralled by the case of the young Russian immigrant who apparently killed his mother while sleepwalking. He is also intrigued by the beautiful young Russian woman who acts as his interpreter. Confronted with the most difficult defence known to criminal law, Blair battles with self-doubt, alcoholism and ethical dilemmas in his quest for justice. He quickly descends into an unfamiliar world, where nothing is as it appears and where reality proves the truism that life can be stranger than fiction.