At a dark place in Edinburgh's heart, secrets refuse to lie dormant Grace Macallan is struggling to see a future for herself in the police. Working in Counter Corruption at Police Scotland, Grace finds herself torn between the shadows cast by old demons and the new sense of peace she finds with her family. DI Janet Hadden, a complex mix of professional talent, ruthless ambition and criminal risk taking in her private life, can't fail to escape Grace's notice. When Janet's desire for promotion is thwarted, she seeks out Dominic Grainger, an imposing presence in the Scottish underworld, to take her to the top. Then, in an armed incident near Tynecastle, Janet comes to the rescue of Davy `Tonto' McGill, and realises that she can use him to get to Dominic. But Tonto is small fry, manipulated by both sides to further their own dark ambitions. Beset by murder, corruption and duplicity, Grace is soon embroiled in a savage game of cat and mouse with colleagues and criminals alike.