When Elise Vanderzell plummets from her balcony one night, her children awaken to a nightmare. Their mother is dead. Their father is charged with her murder. Lawyer Kate Lange knows all about nightmares. She survived the darkest period of her life and the wounds are still raw. Now she's been handed a case that seems unwinnable: defending her boss, high-profile lawyer Randall Barrett. A prosecutor's dream suspect, Randall is a man cuckolded by his ex-wife. A man who couldn't control his temper. A man who had argued bitterly with the victim the previous day in full view of the children. With limited criminal law experience, Kate finds herself enmeshed in a family fractured by doubt. Randall's teenage son is intent on killing him. His daughter wants only to feel safe again. And the legal community would like nothing better than to see Randall get a public comeuppance. As Kate races to stay a step ahead of the prosecution, a silent predator is waiting to deal the final blow.