Kim Jackson was a successful corporate accountant in Chicago—until a whistleblower supplied her with evidence of fraudulent invoices for nonexistent merchandise. Her boss disposed of the snitch and framed her for the murder. Warned that a similar fate awaits her if she talks, Kim now goes on the run. In Durango, Colorado, she reinvents herself, complete with a new name, look, and life story. She resurfaces as a rookie live-in caregiver to ex-detective Lena Fallon, recently paralyzed in a shootout. Lena becomes bitter, reclusive, and resistant to Kim's encouragement to solve her own attempted murder. Besides, Lena suspects that Kim has an unsavory past she'd just as soon conceal. Unbeknownst to either woman, a third person is in danger. This individual is hell-bent on revenge against both Lena and her would-be killer for a long-ago atrocity no child should ever experience, and no cop should ever give up trying to solve.

Three mysteries converge in this second novel of its series. Three determined and self-reliant women hate, fear, and must pretend to admire a heartless misogynist on pain of death. Each survives by individual cunning. Such a collection of examples of keen female intellect is likely to attract a readership of those of a feminist persuasion, regardless of gender. The arson to Lena's house raises the issue of violence against those with physical disabilities and its perpetrators' callousness. The text also poignantly details the depression and post-traumatic stress that police officers encounter in the aftermath of career-ending injuries. In a strong example of art imitating life, Lena never undergoes complete catharsis about her shooting, unlike the characters of many books. She repeatedly experiences some level of situational acceptance, only to regress partially into self-pity after disagreements with Kim. This halting progress toward wholeness lends the story yet another layer of realism.

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