DCI Harry Brock is called to Ham Common early on a Sunday morning. But when he arrives at the murder scene, he learns that this killing is far from being an ordinary sort of murder. To his amazement, he finds that the victim has been stabbed to death, locked in a wooden box and set alight. This very public demonstration of murder leads Brock and his assistant, DS Dave Poole, to believe that there might be a connection to a gang. They are then led on a journey through London's underworld, where they encounter East End villains, porn actresses and other criminal characters who populate such world--Publisher's description.