When a crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization, but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier. To her, he can't say no. Brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. He begins compiling a "murder book," keeping records, interviews, photos-- everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target... and Ellen, too.