Jack Irish, a former lawyer, takes on a new case as private investigator. He is paid handsomely by Travis Dithey to locate his adopted brother Wayne. However, what appears to be a quick and simple case, is not all it seems. Meanwhile Linda Hillier, Jack's girlfriend moves to Manila to report on Hadji Adhib, a terrorist who grew up in Melbourne.

Arrested for murder, Jack is given an alibi from Sarah Barret Longmore, the daughter of the Attorney General, and subsequently released. In a bid to make sense of the people and events surrounding the job, Jack follows the trail to find dead ends, empty offices, and more mysterious behaviour. In Manila, Linda's attempts to contact renowned terrorist Hadji Adhib are thwarted by an unidentified observer.

Jack continues in his search for answers with Sarah. They are led to a private sex party following a tip off from a bribed prostitute. Linda travels to Mindanao to meet Hadji Adhib but her plans take a swift change in direction once on the road with her boss Orson.

Linda, Orton, and Adonis are caught by one of the terrorists but are rescued by the mystery man and his team, leaving the scene with a young girl rescued from the area. When back at the hotel Linda manages to escape a terrorist attack on the pool, before continuing with her mission to try and make contact with Hadji Adhib for her article. Back in Fitzroy, Jack attends the memorial of Sarah's sister at The Way Of The Cross and blags his way into a closed meeting only to find himself invited to see Pastor Rob Shand in person, alone. Has Jack revealed more than he should?

Jack wakes in hospital, struggling to come to terms with his loss. Meanwhile his friends Simone and Drew haven't stopped in the search for the truth and they uncover some key information that sends Jack to seek his revenge. After being pushed away by Jack, Linda continues her investigation into Hadji Adhib and visits his family home in Melbourne. During her visit she finds some newspaper cuttings which reveal secrets about Orton.

Jack finds himself back under suspicion for another murder, but is given a place to hide by his friend Harry. Jack continues to investigate with Cam and is getting closer to the truth, but is Via Crusis one step ahead? Linda finds herself in an impossible situation in her hunt for answers from Hadji Adhib. How will the story unfold and will it ever be told by Linda?