High in the stand at the MCG, the Holloway family settle in to watch their beloved Carlton play the might Collingwood Magpies. A beautiful winter's day, their son Alfie playing happily at their feet, and always the promise of victory; for Harry and Effie, life seems very agreeable. But death abruptly intrude, Inspector Holloway is required to investigate, and a chain of events is set off that will send shock waves through Melbourne's football community. A famous club is faced with a calamitous scandal as the inquiry leads Harry into the seedy world of Melbourne's illegal gambling culture. Harry's detective powers are severely tested as he confronts a desperate and formidable adversary. And as always, Effie is on hand to support her husband, with forthright and sometimes unsolicited advice.