When Detective Inspector Joseph Rafferty visits his local for a quick drink or three, he's looking to forget his troubles, not add to them. His ex-fiancée Abra is still refusing to talk to him, and he's fast losing hope of a reconciliation. But, after a very public argument, a man is found dead - stabbed to death in the pub's car park - and a gloomy Rafferty gets out the breath freshener, and gets on the case. Unfortunately, the case is less open and shut than it first appears. The witnesses all plead alcohol-induced memory loss, and Rafferty's habitually cautious sidekick Dafyd Llewellyn isn't helping either - casting doubt on all of Rafferty's conclusions. When the murderer strikes again, Rafferty is forced into a decision that he will soon regret. With the Super breathing down his neck, Llewellyn all but giving him the silent treatment, and his personal problems - including his mother, who's more closely linked to a local villain than Rafferty would like - all adding to the pressure, can Rafferty fix his mistakes before it's too late?