An explosion. A death. The destruction of a popular Elm Grove business. Charlotte Anthony, caught up in the ensuing chaos, wonders what the victim meant when he said he knew something "that could get us both killed."

Once again, Charlotte teams with Detective Barnes as they strive to unmask the criminal. Her efforts are complicated by her relationship with Donovan, when it seems that they both have secrets they are unwilling to share—and as important figures from her past suddenly appear in town.

As Charlotte uncovers the layers of the murderer's motivation, she also reveals the dark pasts and secret lives of those she thought she knew well, testing her faith in her fiancé, her friends, and herself.

The Charlotte Anthony novels are traditional, character-driven mysteries whose overarching theme is how the past informs the present, and how even a small town in the American Midwest can be connected to a much larger world.