Glasgow, Scotland: When a man's body is pulled from the River Clyde, Strathclyde Police initiate a murder investigation that exposes deadly links to organised crime gangs. And when the matriarch of the notorious Shepherd family disappears, DCI Andy Gilchrist of St Andrews CID and his associate, DS Jessie Janes, are called upon to find her. But their investigation uncovers a historical trail of missing persons, now all presumed dead.

Why pull in Gilchrist and Janes for a murder in Glasgow? Can they locate the missing bodies? As they dig deeper, they expose an illegal body disposal gang and a murderous plot to change the balance of criminal power in Scotland and beyond. But the organised crime gangs won't give up quietly, and they put in motion murderous acts of retribution, with their sights set firmly on Gilchrist. Leading the pack is Bully Reid, a career criminal and brutal killer who Gilchrist put away years ago, and who still pulls the strings from behind bars in Barlinnie prison.

Can Gilchrist and Janes survive Bully's revenge? Or will they end up like all the others - just two more missing bodies?