The first victims lost their purses. The last one lost a finger. The next might lose something far more.A vicious mugger is terrorising late-night bus riders in London. Now he's moving onto the Special Crime Unit's turf. And he's escalating.Trouble is, DC Sandra Jones suspects an old friend may be involved. Should she cover for him, knowing it could jeopardise both their careers? Or come clean and lose everyone's trust?Not that this is the team's only preoccupation. There's a suspected paedophile down in the cells who may be a political hot potato, two new detectives making waves, a high school teacher who's gone fatally over the edge, and a would-be cop killer waiting to be extradited.As Sandra and her colleagues investigate, they encounter a dangerous sociopath who seems to be testing the limits of the law... and a disturbing plot that reaches to the heart of the team.