Mickey Hatcher is back after being wounded. He's summoned to the judge's office where he learns that his friend and courtroom advesary, Jerry Vincent has been murdered.
Hatcher is to take over his cases and the most notorious is that of Walter Elliot, on trial for killing his wife and her lover.
Hatcher must put together a defense team to defend this wealthy and dislikable character.
Det. Harry Bosch enters the book as the lead investigator of Vincent's murder. He thinks that Hatcher might be the next victim because of what he knows.