V.I. Warshawski receives an unwelcome shock when her aunt Elena arrives on her doorstep in the middle of the night, having fled from her burning hotel. But things go from bad to worse when Elena mysteriously vanishes and the corpse of her aunt's friend is discovered at a construction site. As V.I.'s investigation plunges her deep into the workings of the construction industry and county politics, she finds herself part of a dangerous game of corruption where her life is the prize. Someone's out to silence her, and they won't stop until they do . . .