An American bishop attending a multi-denominational meeting at the heavily Catholic St. Gerard's College dies after drinking poisoned wine but the CCTV footage at her hotel shows that the cowled figure delivering the wine probably intended it for retired policeman Barry Winter,who is also murdered. Father Moreno Mancini is stepping down as college head and the candidates to replace him include staunchly Catholic Brother Blackmore,open-minded Professor Pinnock and free-thinking new broom Caroline Hope,partner of ex-con turned author Al Darrow. The fourth candidate Jeremy Swain becomes the next victim,a note declaring Wild Justice pinned to his chest. Outright rivalry to be Father Mancini's successor is ruled out when it is revealed that one of the candidates committed a murder as a child and was given a new name after serving their sentence. It seems that a relative of the victim has tracked them down and is seeking their own wild justice.