Just before midnight, Mandy is woken by a frantic knocking at the door. It's her ex-husband. Drunk. Again. At that moment her new partner James gets home from work. Mandy hears raised voices. Then a dull, smacking sound. Followed by a sickening crunch . . .DC Barnes is back on the job after an eighteen-month suspension. He's offered this case no one else wants - and he's in no position to refuse. A one-punch homicide.The accused is Mandy's partner James. An honest, upright citizen and a firefighter. The victim is Mandy's ex, an aggressive alcoholic.James's acquittal is a sure thing. No jury will convict this good man defending his girlfriend.So why does James suddenly disappear just before the jury reach their verdict?The following day a body is found at the foot of Beachy Head. The injuries sustained reveal this wasn't a suicide.Barnes's case has now become something deeper and darker than anyone could have imagined.