An arson attack on the whiskey warehouse of Broch distillery in the lonely, wild, Scottish Highlands. The Scots take any attack on their favorite brew very, very seriously. Colin Thane, second in command of the elite Scottish Crime Squad, is sent north from Glasgow to solve the case of the arson attack which has left three men dead and 8m. worth of the best malt destroyed. He takes with him Detective Sergeant Sandra Craig, red-haired, impulsive.
Nobody seems to have a motive for the arson attack.
There was apparently no reason for the three to have been killed. Colin Thane may like the occasional whisky, but he still has to learn about the trade before he can begin to solve the case. The serious whisky drinker would start a war if each bottle of his favorite brand did not match the last one. The sinister events either stem from the Glaswegian underworld, or from the past of the Broch distillery, or the current relationships within the family of the owners, or maybe all of those tied in some way. Bill Knox keeps us in suspense right up to the climax of first-class police work, satisfying to the reader, but not so to those who think families should matter.