Beneath his controlled demeanor, attorney John O'Rourke is a man whose life is in turmoil. Since the death of his wife, he has begun juggling the rigors of the controversial capital murder case and the demands of raising two children.

Eleven-year-old Maggie's crooked bangs and rumpled clothes eloquently reproach John's earnest attempts at mothering. Teddy, John's stalwart fourteen-year-old, has quietly shouldered responsibilities far too weighty for his young shoulders, as he tries to ignore the hostility that has swirled around his family since his father took on the defence of the killer whose crimes have rocked Connecticut.

A brick through the window signals a dangerous new level of hatred. When a woman arrives on O'Rourke doorstep she finds a household on the brink of chaos but brimming with love and, she hopes, answers. Kate Harris is searching for the key to her own mystery. Six months ago her younger sister fled far from their beloved home following a devastating confrontation.

After mailing a single postcard from the New England shore, Willa Harris vanished. With only a postmark to go on, Kate takes a leave of absence from her job as a marine biologist to come to the seaside Willa adored -- and discovers the one man who may be able to help her.