The call came at midnight. On the surface a tragic, petty murder -a rising star in San Francisco's legal firmament shot dead in a dark alley. But for homicide detective Abe Glitsky the crime cuts horribly close to home. Unknown to anyone, the victim was his daughter. The only suspect is a hopeless heroin addict, found lingering over his daughter's body, her jewellery in his pocket, a gun in his hand.
Lawyer Dismas Hardy is not keen to defend the likely killer of a woman he respected. But when the District Attorney, scenting political advantage, calls for the death penalty, Hardy's outraged.
Unable to watch a man die so a politician can win an election, Dismas warily takes on the case. But as his battle to secure his client a fair hearing begins, Hardy finds himself entering a world of corruption, conspiracy and cold-blooded murder...