Jack McNaughton is a police detective sergeant called to investigate one of the most horrific crimes imaginable - the brutal killing of six small children, with their father the primary suspect. McNaughton wants nothing but to be a good cop who makes a difference, but his efforts on this bizarre case and others are frustrated by incompetence and bureaucracy. "The McNaughton Rule" presents a slice of the life of a big-city detective who ultimately is overwhelmed by tragic occurrences and the harsh clash of circumstances beyond his control. It is peppered with colorful characters who populate Jack's life: hapless and heinous criminals; quirky and charismatic members of his detective squad; his pitiable yet obnoxious boss, who at once commands both sympathy and disdain; his loving but no-nonsense wife and their beloved daughter; and interesting and realistic peripheral characters who bring the story to life and set it squarely in the "middlest" of the Midwest, Indiana.