Years ago, two children survived an explosion that killed their parents and older brother. Now, those distant events have far-reaching consequences when Leana Lonergan is killed in a car accident. Leana was the wealthy, beautiful, and brilliant wife of Gar, but due to the circumstances of her death, authorities aren't sure if this was an accident or murder. On the west side of Massachusetts, Major Crimes Unit Captain Rudy Beauregard and his detectives are on the case. Gar is the most likely suspect with motive, but Beauregard isn't sure of anything yet. He delves into the questionable auto accident that took Leana's life and finds a lot more than expected. Who was Leana really, and what does she have to do with a woman named Mary Lou? The West Side police follow the investigation from Massachusetts to San Francisco, to the American South, and up to the Big Apple. Suddenly, they're on the hunt for a serial killer-possibly more than one! The more he learns, the more Beauregard begins to doubt the justice system, wondering if murder is ever justified in exchange for childhood horrors.