In Charleston, South Carolina, eighteen-year-old Alicia Fenton is arrested for the murder of her stepfather. In exchange for information that has been buried for twenty years, attorney Joe Hennessy joins her defense team.

Desperate to know the truth about the past, Hennessy battles to prove Alicia is innocent. Fighting against corrupt cops, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and ruthless prisoners, the evidence leads Hennessy into the dangers of the criminal underworld.
Despite his full caseload, Hennessy agrees to defend a building construction manager against a charge of Grand Larceny. The further Hennessy works into the case, the more he finds that everything is connected.

As the cases progress, Hennessy uncovers a secret about his murdered son that has remained hidden for twenty years.

But to reveal the truth, to take that risk, Joe Hennessy must battle the entire system...