The sun is shining in Heckley, and DI Charlie Priest is wise-cracking his way through the daily routine. Work is, if not quite relaxed, at least stress-free. The biggest case on the books? A petty thief pinching underwear from the washing-lines of unsuspecting housewives. Charlie's pretty confident he can handle it.

But all good things come to an end and it's not long before the clouds roll in. Two people nearly die after eating contaminated food from a local supermarket. The media is alerted, a national scare ensues and it's clear that if Charlie doesn't act fast he could be dealing with a murder enquiry.