'The godfather of Australian crime fiction.' Although the meaner streets of inner Sydney are his traditional stamping grounds, Cliff Hardy finds that crime can flourish in the leafy, well-heeled outer suburbs as well. Lugarno may be an unlikely centre for drug dealing and corruption but the trail starts with the daughter of a wealthy client and leads quickly to threats of violence from some serious characters. Once again, Hardy treads a fine line between police and suspects, coming up against blackmail and bullets before a surprising finale.