Michael Connelly, an attorney living in the lakeside city of Excelsior, Minnesota, has few wants beyond his small law practice, his lakeshore town home, his boat, and his vintage Mustang. Life for him runs smoothly and on a routine.

It's with women that Mike seems to get himself into trouble. When a childhood friend resurfaces in his life and asks for his help, he is enamored of her beauty and can't refuse her requests. Little does he anticipate the trouble this decision will bring him. And that's not his only misstep with women.

Then, after a brief dalliance with his neighbor, he becomes a prime suspect in her disappearance and subsequent murder. How much can he tell the police without implicating himself? A more serious concern: what will the murderer do to try to stay out of the reach of the law?