The discovery of the body of local photographer Billy Travis leads Detective Inspector Neil Paget into one of the most frustrating cases of his career. The dead man had fallen fifty feet from a bridge onto the railway tracks below. The fact that the corpse is bound and gagged, the letter A carved into his forehead means that the death plunge was no accident.

Travis having led a quiet, unremarkable life, the motive for the murder remains a mystery. With no physical evidence, no witnesses and no leads to follow, the investigation stonewalls - much to the frustration of Paget’s new boss, Detective Superintendent Amanda Pierce, who has much to prove in her new role.

When a second body shows up, Paget must discover what connects the two victims if he is to have any chance of cracking the case.