A dauntless street sergeant with the Minneapolis Police Department, Kat LeNoir possesses courage and confidence until she shoots a man to death in the line of the duty. Follow it up with another near death encounter on a hot city night and Kat suddenly finds herself incapable of serving the citizens or commanding her patrol. There's only one way out-to resign. Emptied of life, terrified of failure, Kat returns to Madeline Island and discovers island peace shattered by the crosscurrents of her hometown's first murder and an outsider homicide cop on a two-year search for a killer of sixteen-year-old girls. While it's clear nothing will stand in his way of catching a crazed killer, especially a lady cop who couldn't hack it, it's also clear that his determination and her dwindling courage turn into a battle of wills that can salvage or destroy what's left of Kat's pride.