It's the hot and humid East Coast summer of 1931 and seven years since Dr. Haley Higgins's brother Joe was murdered. The case is cold. The Boston Police Department may have given up on finding Joe Higgins's killer, but Haley never will. She's serious and savvy and has what it takes to hold up under depressing times, and she at least finds some satisfaction doing her part as the city pathologist's assistant in solving other crimes. Investigative reporter Samantha Hawke—byline Sam Hawke—is blonde, beautiful, and broke, no thanks to her no-good husband who's been on the lam for over six years. Her position at The Boston Daily Record is more than a job—it's payback. When a man is found dead at the Bell in Hand Tavern on Union Street, Haley and Samantha are both working the case. Haley's looking for justice, and Samantha's after recognition and a raise. They want the same thing—to catch a killer—and it turns out they may need each other to solve this case before becoming the next victims.