DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi discover the body of known troublemaker Dean Hughes, dumped on the steps of St. Mary's Church in West Derby, Liverpool. His body is covered with the unmistakeable marks of torture. As they hunt for the killer, they discover a worrying pattern. Other teenagers, all young delinquents, have been disappearing without a trace. Who is clearing the streets of Liverpool? Where are the other missing boys being held? And can Murphy and Rossi find them before they meet the same fate as Dean?