J. P. Beaumont and Brandon Walker, two of Jance's most acclaimed series characters, join forces for the first time in one of the most suspenseful works of her career. Years ago, Amos Warren, a prospector, was gunned down out in the desert and Sheriff Brandon Walker made the arrest in the case. Now, the retired Walker is called in when the alleged killer refuses to accept a plea deal that would release him from prison with time served. He wants Brandon to find Amos's "real" killer and clear his name. Walker's search to find the truth will lead him to the Pacific Northwest, where he eventually meets Beau.