Mat Joubert was one of the rising stars of the South African police force, a cop on the fast-track to the future. Not only that; to his eternal incomprehension - and despite chronic ineptness around the opposite sex - he had managed to marry a fascinating, beautiful and intelligent woman. A rosy future beckoned. Then she was killed, and with her his hopes and his career gradually died. Alcoholic, overweight and depressed, he is frittering away his life. But now, there is a new killer in town, one who strikes with terrifying randomness - the method is bizarre and the motive inexplicable. Mat is drawn into the case and he soon starts to realise that this could very well be his last chance to lay the ghosts of his past.