Jack Irish is a man getting his life back together again. A former criminal lawyer whose world imploded, he now spends his days as a part-time investigator, debt collector, apprentice cabinet maker, punter and sometime lover – the complete man really. An expert in finding those who don’t want to be found – dead or alive, Jack helps out his mates while avoiding the past. That is until the past finds him.

In the year 2121, society is controlled by Counsel, an all-knowing AI who logs and analyses every move citizens make. The unnamed city wherein 2121 takes place is under a hard-socialist rule. If at any time a citizen breaks any of Counsel's numerous rules, they will be expelled to the Outlands-a lawless wasteland outside the city walls, without the benefits of its clean air and water. Inevitably, from the depths of the misery of this society, a revolution is forming. A group called Defiance is planning a complex attack on Counsel, aiming to bring down both the AI and those who serve it. They have spent months recruiting members, turning assets in high places, and cooking up their own brand of digital weaponry-and now it's time to put their plan into action.