An aspiring Gordie journalist drops his inhibitions to research the UK's North East outdoor sex scene. He meets a certain girl in a car park, and the totally unexpected happens.

A solitary man drives on an isolated road. He pulls over, checks on something in the back seat, gets out a shovel, and vomits. It seems he's looking for a place to bury a body.

After the mobster who murdered his partner is acquitted, semicorrupt detective Robert Bryant hires a beautiful female assassin, Maria, to kill him. When he discovers that he cannot afford Maria's services, Bryant is forced to hire another assassin, Madison, to kill her. Maria survives the doublecross and sets out to collect what's owed to her, one way or another.

Based on one of Catherine Cookson's most beloved works which revolves around slick cardplayer Rory Connor (played by Robson Green), a rags-to-riches gambler faced with a life-changing decision. Never one to shy away from high stakes, Rory is in the game of his life when he's asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for his brother. Directed by Norman Stone, it also stars Bernard Hill, Sylvestra Le Touzel and Sammy Johnson.