A murdered prostitute: Des McGinlay's first big case should be easy to resolve. But he's struggling to fend off the 'big wallow' - desperate to pull his life together as he picks through the wreckage of others'. Vin, who loved her, is being set up as the fall guy for the murder. Bertha, the grieving mother, wants Des for a lucrative future. And as a photographer, a dopehead and a right-wing politician are sucked into the vortex, the lowlife sharks are circling.

Bright-hearted Pearl offers Des a glimmer of hard-won redemption, but at street and canal level, down in the pubs and blues parties no one is playing by the rules.