Michael Walker is a research scientist in the north-east of England who has an amazing secret. He's also a powerful sorcerer!

Although he's tried to leave his magical life behind him, Mike finds himself drawn back into it when a deranged serial killer starts stalking his hometown and kills one of his students. Then, when he's in the wrong place at the right time to save the killer's latest target, he makes two shocking discoveries. One, the would-be-victim, Amy Walsh, is a criminal profiler working on the case and two, the killer is a wizard who's using his own mystical power to keep himself one step ahead of the authorities.

Now, without any help from the secretive (not to mention small), local magic community, Mike and Amy join forces to bring the killer to justice, all without violating the Code of Magic - the global vow of all magic-users to keep the Arts existence secret.

Mike and Amy must deal with the secretive Order of the Cunning Ones, as well as a snoopy reporter and Amy's older brother who is the Detective Inspector leading the serial killer investigation as they try to track down the rogue wizard before he kills again.

Set in the north-east, the story follows them along the streets of Middlesbrough, as well as several local locations including Rosebury Topping and the famous Transporter Bridge, concluding with a confrontation in an abandoned steelworks.