Kate, a former investigator for the Anchorage D.A. and now a P.I. for hire, is missing after a winter spent in mourning. Alaska State Trooper Jim Chopin, Kate's best friend, needs her to help him work a new case. He discovers her hiding out in Bering, a small fishing village on Alaska's western coast, living and working under an assumed name-- working hard, as 18-hour workdays seem to be her only justification for getting up in the morning. But before they can even discuss Kate's last severalmonths, or what Jim is doing looking for her in Bering, they're up to their eyes in Jim's case, which is suddenly more complicated-- and more dangerous-- than they suspect.