When heroin traffickers establish a vast and swift pipeline into nearly every corner of Vermont, Joe Gunther's Bureau of Investigations is called on to stem the tide. With pressure building from politicians and resentment burgeoning in the ranks of rival investigative units, Joe's team is forced to take wild risks and push a number of ethical envelopes in their attempt to bring the problem under control. Sammie Martens must go deep undercover as a drug dealer, Lester Spinney must investigate a loved one, and Joe must make some agonising choices as he works to reconcile a noble end with highly dubious means. With a War on Drugs in full swing within Vermont's borders for the firs time, Archer Mayor's beloved sleuths will be driven to their very limits as they struggle to rid their community of a plague of epic proportions.