The police never suspected a serial killer was at large until they found the fourth murdered boy - the first white victim - his body draped over a tomb in a London graveyard. Suddenly a series of crimes and a potential public relations disaster have Scotland Yard on the defensive, scrambling to apprehend a maniac while avoiding accusations of racism. Thomas Linley, distracted by concerns for his pregnant wife, has been assigned to the investigation, along whith his partner, Barbara Havers, who's fighting for her professional future... (La police n'avait jamais envisagé qu'un sérial killer hantait les rues jusqu'à ce qu'on retrouve un quatrième corps, un garçon blanc cette fois, dans un cimetière de Londres. Face à cette série de crimes et à des accusations de racisme, Scotland Yard est sur la défensive. Thomas Linley, préoccupé par la santé de sa femme enceinte, aidé de sa partenaire Barbara, elle aussi luttant pour conserver place, est chargé de l'enquête.)