A long hot summer in the west of Scotland sees temperatures rising higher than usual throughout the traditional marching season. When the murder of a young loyalist is added to the mix, cool heads are in short supply. RUC-veteran Doug Michie, tasked with finding the killer, stokes a sectarian hornet's nest as he delves into a case shrouded in lies, secrets and illicit sexual encounters that lead all the way back to an Ulster he'd sooner forget.