Easy Rawlins comes home from work and finds more trouble on his doorstep in a day than most men encounter in a lifetime. A friend has left his daughter at Easy's house without so much as a note. Clearly this friend, Christmas Black, fears for his life and his daughter's. Easy's closest friend, the man known as Mouse, has disappeared too. Worst of all, Easy's lontgime lover tells him that she plans to marry another man. In a world of hurt, Easy strikes out on his own to try to find one friend, save another, and save himself from the pain that is driving him out of his mind.