A quiet tree-lined street in New Orleans erupts in panic when the body of Sally Wilcox is discovered by her landlord. Sally had been stabbed, and she was clutching a kitchen knife in her hand at the time of her death. Later, police discover evidence at the scene which implicates Sally's son, Jeremy, in her murder. He was arrested the next day.

Law school professor Emma Thornton is convinced by a friend to take Jeremy's case. She begins her investigation into Jeremy and his family and the facts surrounding the night of the murder. Layer after layer of family secrets slowly reveal themselves as the numbers of murders and kidnappings multiply.

Holding the key to the killer's trail and the case's final resolution, Emma's success depends on whether she can maintain control over her own reckless impulses.