A preacher was found brutally murdered in a Tennessee motel. A beautiful, mysterious young girl is accused of the crime. In the novel, a finalist for the International Reader's Award for Detective Literature in the category "Best Debut", criminal lawyer Joe Dillard, tired of routine over the years, tries to find a balance between his career and his conscience. Smart but cynical, Dillard wants to quit criminal cases, but can't pass up the chance to represent someone who may actually be innocent. His drug-addicted sister has just been released from prison and his mother suffers from Alzheimer's disease, but his commitment to his cause, despite personal problems and professional demands, threatens to destroy him.