"Paul Osborn is spiraling out of control. Full of drugs and booze and self-hate, he has washed up in Sydney, where he has a walk-up in Kings Cross, a bad case of sunstroke, and an even worse reputation at the local bars. But now his former boss from the Auckland City Police Department has tracked him down and wants Osborne back on the job. Jack Fitzgerald, a former colleague and Osborne's only real friend on the force, has committed suicide in the middle of an important investigation. And despite his current state, Paul Osborne, once a tenacious detective, is the only one qualified to take over the investigation. Osborne has no interest in playing policeman anymore but returns to Auckland at the behest of his captain for one reason and one reason only: he's sure that Jack Fitzgerald couldn't have killed himself and he's determined to find his murderers."--P. [2] of jacket.