Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is trying to enjoy his retirement
doing a bit of PI work on the side, meeting up with former colleagues,
fixing up a grand old house in a genteel Dublin suburb near the sea.
Then he discovers the body of his neighbour, a retired judge brutally
murdered, shot through the back of the neck, his face mutilated beyond
recognition.
McLoughlin finds himself drawn into the murky past of the murdered
judge, which leads him back to his own father's killing, decades
earlier, by the IRA. In seeking the truth behind both crimes, a web of
deceit, blackmail and fragile reputations comes to light, as
McLoughlin's investigation reveals the explosive circumstances linking
both crimes and dark secrets are discovered which would destroy the
judge's legendary family name.