The drugs-related death of a young man who lapsed into a coma at a rave club attracts the interest of Dalziel and Pascoe. As the detectives investigate deeper into the rave club they discover that the club is owned by intense, inseparable twins Nicholas and Sophie Richmond, and financed by their seemingly benign Uncle Henry, a maker of perfume. This bizarre trio cause problems enough for Dalziel but he comes under more pressure when, during a drugs raid, he arrests the son of his ex-wife Mary Waddell. Following another strange rave murder, the duo are forced to dig even deeper into the private lives and motivations of the diverse group of suspects surrounding these murders with some startling results.