In the absense of Iles

the long version

"When Assistant Chief Constable Desmond Iles misses a crucial conference, he's not around to give vital advice to a colleague, ACC Esther Davidson. A local gang, the Guild, is giving her big trouble and she proposes to put an undercover spy into the criminal outfit. Iles might have dissuaded her from this: he's sworn never to place anyone in such danger again after the murder of one of his undercover officers. Belatedly, he tries to help, and there's definitely sexual chemistry between the two - but Iles's speciality is nailing villains by any method, whether fair or foul ..."--Publisher description.