Jack Kowalski is a young barrister who finds himself working on the biggest drugs trial in British history. He argues a savage ‘cut-throat’ defence – a risky tactic where the defendants blame each other. As the son of Polish immigrants Kowalski has always found it hard to fit in, with a sense of inferiority denting his performances in Court. Now he must face his demons and fight not only for his clients, but also for his future. When the defendant unexpectedly absconds, Jack and solicitor Lara Panassai struggle to hold the case together. In search of their client, and desperate for new evidence, they are soon drawn deep into Manchester’s seedy criminal underworld.