It's Manchester's hottest summer on record and while Cal Innes evicts families on behalf of local slum lord Donald Plummer, the English National Socialists stir up racial tensions to breaking point. A firebomb attack at a Plummer property thrusts Cal into the spotlight as he saves a child from the burning building. But when Plummer enlists his help to track down the arsonists, Cal finds himself dealing with more than the ENS and his rapidly overwhelming codeine addiction. Time's running out and the temperature keeps rising. Manchester needs a hero and Cal Innes is the closest it has.Praise for Ray Banks"Memorable characterisation, Manchester at night and at its most sinister, lives flooding down the plughole this is British noir in all its sordid splendour by a writer who has taken more than just an excursion to the dark side." The Guardian"A pitch perfect novel" Crime Fiction Lover"Brimming with pitch-black humour and written with a claustrophobic mania to rival the finest noir exponents, it's compelling and finely honed stuff." The Big Issue"Dark, nasty, funny, and painfully human" Spinetingler Magazine"A tight and pacy read, the prose stripped to the bone and the dialogue pitch-perfect. Fans of Colin Bateman and Elmore Leonard will find it hits their sweet spot. Cohen brother lovers; one for you too." Loitering With Intent"A great story. It's tight as hell and it's so deliberate that it's a complete joy to read." Dead End Follies"An intensive masterclass in how to write." Helen FitzGerald «Banks writes in a clean style, looped with inky black humor, and the plot goes at a lightning pace, heaping dread upon dread.» On The Book Beat"Ray Banks writes with harshness, humour and elegance, and his punchy dialogue teems with vigorous authenticity." The Times"Banks is one of the freshest voices in hard-boiled crime fiction today." Library Journal"Banks has an ear for the vernacular as sharp as, but a shade or two bluer than, that of George V. Higgins. Let the squeamish stick with Tony Soprano; this is the real tough stuff." KirkusRay Banks is the author of nine novels, including Beast Of Burden (Cal Innes #4), Inside Straight and Angels of the North.