Detective Mike Palazzola of Detroit's Third Precinct is good at catching the bad guys. But after several mishandled criminal cases, he becomes increasingly frustrated with the judicial system. The alleged murderers he worked so hard to capture are either dismissed on a technicality, exonerated, or given lenient sentences by the court system.
While having dinner with a friend, he stumbles upon a secret gathering of members who have been passing out their own brand of justice since 1927...members who always wear black bowler hats.
The Malizia Society of Detroit or "The Archangels", have their own stable of executioners. They pass out their own private brand of justice against those malicious criminals whom the judicial system can no longer indict. He later learns that one of the county prosecutors is a member of this secret society.
As Detective Palazzola and his reporter friend begin to investigate these 'Black Bowler Hat' murders, the FBI steps in. They now have a society member who has become a government informant, and the Feds are confident that they can get an indictment against this secret society. They ask the cops and the media to back off, not wanting anyone to jeopardize their investigation.
But the Archangels are now out of control, and are eliminating anyone who threatens to make public and expose their secret manifesto of 'mortal redemption'.
Victims are now showing up dead. Palazzola knows exactly who these killers are, but there isn't anything he can do.
And with every Archangels murder, at every crime scene...lays a black, bowler hat