Sylvester (Sly) Jones is a lawyer who moved to Centerville to get away from the corruption and injustice he saw running rampant in Chicago. It didn't take him long to find out that for all its placid facade, his new town could be just as troubling. A former client of his is found dead, and it appears as if the only person in the town who cares at all is Sly. He soon finds himself investigating her death, even though the pursuit of the killer may end up costing him his job, his law license, his wife, his very existence.