DCI Burke and the team are called in to investigate the discovery of a mangled body in what appears to be an industrial accident at a Clyde shipyard. But when it is revealed that the victim was already dead before the accident, Burke finds himself dealing with a murder.

A young nurse is found strangled in her home, with no sign of forced entry and two glasses of wine on the table. On finding a large quantity of cash hidden in her flat and signs of an affluent lifestyle, Burke and the team begin to suspect that the murder victim had a secret double life. Meanwhile, a mysterious and sinister person is following and filming Burke with a camcorder.

A boxing promoter is found strangled, and while Ross breaks the news to his widow, Burke and Reid interview the previous night's fighters. The winning boxer, Corbett, turns out to be more than good friends with the widow, and the ringside doctor has attempted to destroy medical files. An old friend of the promoters is also called in and soon more information is found which leads to a chase in order to prevent any further deaths.

In the aftermath of the stabbing of a Kurdish minicab driver, Burke finds himself delegated an officer with a working knowledge of race-hate crimes - an ambitious woman who Ross, Fraser and Reid take to immediately. However, Burke resents his investigation being shackled by politically correct demands, especially when a motive has yet to be established.

A young man is found shot in a public park, and the only clue to his identity is a library ticket from a local college. Burke, Ross and Reid set about tracing the young man which leads them to a halfway house boasting a familiar list of numerous ex-cons.

When a doctor at a women's health centre is murdered, anti-abortionists are the prime suspects. Burke and his team investigate whether the protesters have been framed.