RIOT: 77

Newly retired detective Nevis Neil Armstrong ponders the inscription on his leaving present a gold watch Nevis Armstrong CID s finest But Neil wonders Were there mistakes along the way What s done is done argues his former boss At university Neil studied Theoretical Physics maintaining his interest ever since The watch ticking away time makes him think Perhaps there is a way to right past wrongs What if what s done is not done after all Twenty five years earlier 1977 Britain is suffering with one million unemployed and rampant inflation Industrial unrest and racial tensions spark violence Punk rock is the voice of a disaffected younger generation In South London Neil recently promoted to Detective Inspector is spending an off duty evening in his local with a bottle of wine the latest New Scientist magazine and the jukebox when a young woman disturbs him Vienna forthright and named after a song Neil doesn t know is different from the pub s regulars with her blue streaked hair nose stud and dolphin tattoo Who is Vienna Why is she in The White Horse And how does she know that Neil will shortly be called to Clapham where an anti fascist protester lies dead after a National Front march