Matt Scudder is well and truly off the booze, but he still spends time with some of his old drinking pals including Mick Ballou. Mick is worried - a garage full of bourbon has been ripped off and two of his henchman killed in cold blood. Micks wants Scudder to look into it - he reluctantly agrees. The following weekend Matt's mentor from AA is shot dead at point blank range - Matt knows it should have been him. Now the case is personal.