Gently's wife has been killed in a hit and run, and Gently suspects his nemesis, Joe Webster, who's just been released from jail. Gently, disillusioned with the police force, follows Webster up to Northumberland after he discovers that he's attended the funeral of a young biker. When further members of the gang are also killed, Gently finds he's not the only man seeking vengeance. Along with his Machiavellian sidekick, Bacchus, they race to find their suspect before the killer strikes again.