Direct Action - Stephen Leather

Hodder and Stoughton were geared up to publish Direct Action, until they actually read it LOL. They felt that certain demographics were being negatively described, even though said demographics were guilty of rape, child grooming, drug dealing and murder! This was similar to their reaction when they read First Strike, when again they felt that certain demographics might be uncomfortable with the book, even though the chances of said demographics reading the book were pretty close to zero LOL. I ended up self-publishing First Strike - which sold well and got great reviews - and I am also self-publishing Direct Action.

Anyway, here's the treatment -

Across Britain, violent criminals are walking free - cases derailed by sharp-suited defence lawyers and soft-touch judges - and public fury is reaching breaking point.

Into that anger step the New Crusaders, a shadowy group that hunts down offenders who have slipped through the net and delivers their own brand of punishment live across social media to millions of cheering followers. To some, they're heroes. To the government, they're terrorists.

Dan "Spider" Shepherd of MI5 is tasked with bringing them down. But as Shepherd digs deeper, he uncovers a far more dangerous truth: the New Crusaders aren't driven by justice. They're being steered by hidden forces with an agenda that has nothing to do with punishment - and everything to do with tearing the country apart.

If Shepherd fails, it won't just be the rule of law that collapses.

It will be the country itself.