The Root of All Evil

Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative forms of criminal activity undertaken in the modern age. Sadly, the use of people as criminal commodities has yet to cease, even though slavery was abolished in the 19th Century. It’s 2013. Winckley Square, in the heart of Preston City, is only a short drive from Lancashire Police Headquarters. Close by, an established criminal network is coercing Brazilian women into sexual exploitation. 
When the gangsters responsible for the operation discover that someone has been siphoning their criminal proceeds and cheating them, they despatch a vicious enforcer who will stop at absolutely nothing to get answers for his masters. When the body of a naked female is discovered on the Guild Wheel at Red Scar, Detective Superintendent Jack Finney, head of Lancashire Constabulary’s Complex Crime Unit, is asked to investigate. With the help of his sidekick Chip and the beautiful Crown Prosecutor Jasmine Booth, he embarks on a dangerous journey to obtain answers, utilising operatives from his Specialist Covert Operations and Undercover Team to gather evidence. 
Jack Finney never gets angry, but his victims and their families need him to get even. He knows this need for justice first hand because he too is a victim searching for answers from a crime that was committed many years ago. But Finney has other pressing personal battles to fight. Are the investigations becoming too much for him? Or does he really have the gift of being able to communicate with the dead?

Stephen Hindle was born in Preston in 1963. He was educated locally before joining Lancashire Police as a cadet in 1980. During a 30-year police career, he served in various uniform roles and as a detective in local CID, Special Branch and Anti–Corruption. He retired in 2012 and describes himself as a Proud Prestonian and an avid follower of the Lilywhites. He is married to Julia and currently investigates for Lancashire Police.