A corpse is discovered in the middle of the city of York. Male; no identification, shot, and tortured before his murder. A professional hit, by the look of it. Gary "Hammer" Sledge turns out to be part of a large family well-known to the police, and most with previous form. And out for revenge at the killing of one of their own. Gradually people talk; hints are dropped; and trails appear - all leading to a man with no record and who has never been inside a police station. But the police know him - he's connected to another unexplained sudden death, and another, and a few more. Detective Chief Inspector, George Hennessey and his stalwart assistant, Sergeant Yellich need to find this Mr. Big - who has a particularly chilling method of disposing of the human evidence...