Philomena McCarthy is an ambitious police officer with the elite Metropolitan Police in London, responding to a domestic violence call. Tempe Brown is a bloodied young woman and the mistress of a decorated and intimidating London detective, Darren Goodall. Philomena and Tempe strike up a tentative friendship, determined to protect each other from Goodall, but something isn't quite right about the stories Tempe tells and the secrets she keeps. Yet the young officer is drawn into Tempe's world, unsure of what is real or invented. After a bungled break-in and an unsolved murder, Philomena finds herself trapped--with her career, her impending wedding, and her very survival in doubt.

Robotham's brilliant ability to render complex characters, both good and bad, keeps readers unsure of whom to trust, "maintain[ing] an air of excruciating suspense" (The Washington Post)--until the very last page.