Inspector George Gently

It is 1969, and approximately six months since the shootings in the cathedral. Gently is taken by surprise when he learns of Bacchus's resignation, realising that his sergeant has lost his confidence. Still suffering his own scars from the incident, Gently sets about fixing Bacchus and insists that he help him investigate a death in custody - a case that has both Gently and Bacchus questioning what it means to be a police officer at a time when attitudes to the police are changing. Meanwhile, the victim's family ask the pertinent question: 'aren't the police supposed to protect us?'.

The body of a murdered girl washed up by a pier leads Gently and Bacchus to investigate the staff and holidaymakers at a family holiday camp. They explore how the youth of 1969 have more independence than their parents and discover that with fewer families coming to the camp, the ideal of the family holiday begins to break down. Gently and Bacchus delve into this world of fame seeking and sex, and discover the dark underbelly of a permissive society as the traditional family dynamics of the past begin to crumble.

Gently and Bacchus delve into a world of army secrets when a young former soldier, Scott Tanner, commits a murder in a Turkish bath. Whilst investigating Tanner's history, Gently hears of horrific allegations of what some soldiers have to face from their own side. He is forced to question the uncomfortable truth of what it means to serve one's queen and country, as an event from the past presses on his conscience.

Throughout the 60s, Northumberland coal mining was decimated as competition from oil, gas, cheap imports and nuclear power led to the closure of dozens of collieries. Burnsend is potentially one such community. Once a thriving colliery town, the future of the town's pit hangs in the balance as the coal board consider closing it. The mysterious death of the union leader in the mine leads Gently and Bacchus to explore the tensions and relationships in the community. They encounter families driven by politics and caught in grudges that date back to the Second World War.