From the outside, the cathedral town of Lafferton seems idyllic, but in many ways it is just like any number of towns. When Simon Serrailler is called in by Lafferton's new Chief Constable, he's asked to take the principal role in a difficult, potentially dangerous undercover operation. He must leave town without telling anyone and he must inhabit the mind of the worst kind of criminal. This takes its toll on Simon ? and eventually on the town.
