Theo Salter, a mysterious estate agent, arrives in an East Anglian market town and becomes an instant local hero after he saves the life of a famous sportsman, protects a female estate agent from a thuggish rival, then shines in a cricket match. Nothing more is known about him until, gradually, his true colours emerge and his murky past comes to light. The police, a local journalist and some of the (many) women in his life begin to ask questions as Theo's various undesirable associates appear from out of the woodwork. It eventually transpires that Theo Salter has been engaged, not only in every sharp practice known to estate agency, but also in such criminal activities as drug dealing, robbery, money laundering and pimping. Even murder is not off his radar. Only when Theo flees with one of his lovers, from both justice and criminal retribution, does he show any hint of unqualified compassion or a conscience...and only then is there an explanation for what might have made him the sort of man he is.