A prominent member of the D.C. community has been murdered, pulling Lieutenant Sam Holland into yet another high-stakes homicide investigation that has her trying to connect the dots between a dead woman and the friends and family who'd turned against her right before her untimely death. With numerous scandals still fresh within the department's ranks, Sam is asked to revisit a cold case from her first year on the job. All the while, Sam's husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, faces mounting pressure to declare his intention to run for president in the coming election, leaving the second couple feeling the strain as they endure the first holidays without their beloved patriarch, Skip Holland. As always, when things become too hot to handle on the job, Sam and Nick turn to each other for solace in the storm.