Lynley, Havers and DC Winston Nkata are close to bringing down organized crime boss Michael Shand. But then their informant Roger Pollard is shot dead. His body is found on the tidal flats of the Essex marshes, Haver's childhood holiday retreat, and it looks like a contract killing — a single bullet to the forehead.

However, they soon discover there's more to the shooting than meets the eye. Why was Pollard on the south coast when he was supposed to be under police protection in Manchester? And what leads can Carly Baker, who works on a local caravan site, provide?