Portsmouth's major drug dealer's time is up. For years Bazza Mackenzie has made millions selling cocaine and heroin into the streets of Portsmouth. He's laundered the money and on the surface at least is one of Hampshire's great and the good. The police have had enough and a year long undercover operation is set up to trap Mackenzie. But when one of the investigation's leading lights is run over and put in hospital Joe Faraday is drafted in to wrap things up. It should be a dream job but Joe fears someone will move in to fill the vacuum when Bazza is gone. Bazza seems to be one step ahead of the investigation at every turn in any case. And then Faraday's son J-J is arrested. He faces a manslaughter charge for supplying drugs to an addict who has subsequently overdosed...