In the first chapter Rachel Penrose is standing trial for the murder of her fiancé, Steven Moretti, and in the last chapter, the trial continues and comes to a revealing end. The pages in between are the essence of the story. The evidence against Rachel is indisputable. Everyone is convinced of her guilt except her old friend Jonathan Lighthart, who believes in her innocence and hires R. A. Huber to find the real culprit. Huber accepts the challenge, which puts her and her young assistant, Andi, on a cruise to Alaska, and ultimately on a frantic race against time. Days before the trial, Huber gets a breakthrough, but the villain cannot risk having her testify and launches a brutal attack, landing her in the hospital in critical condition.
