When gangster lawyer Thomas Eriksson, renowned defender of the guilty, is found brutally murdered in his own home the police face a rare problem. Finding a suspect isn't difficult, but narrowing down the long list of people who wanted Eriksson dead might be...High on the list is the celebrated Detective Superintendent Evert Backstrom, in charge of the investigation. Unfortunately for him a high profile case really gets in the way of his routine, namely avoiding the office, keeping work to a minimum and steering well clear of his inept colleagues - aside from the attractive ones, of course. Luckily, by virtue of his questionable contacts, Backstrom has an unequalled skill for having the guilty handed to him on a plate. All he has to do is break every rule in the book - and receive a healthy wad of cash for his trouble. But this time he's in for a surprise because even Backstrom couldn't have predicted where this trail would lead, or how far from comfortable he might be at its end.