Twenty years ago Charlie Deravin’s mother went missing near the family beach shack – believed murdered; body never found. His father has lived under a cloud of suspicion ever since. Now Charlie’s back living in the shack in Menlo Beach, on disciplinary leave from his job with the police sex-crimes unit, and on permanent leave from his marriage. After two decades worrying away at the mystery of his mother’s disappearance, he’s run out of leads. Then the skeletal remains of two people are found in the excavation of a new building site—and the past comes crashing in on Charlie.

The young detectives call Detective Alan Auhl a retread, but that doesn’t faze him. He’s always done things his own way and gets results—even if his cases are colder now. Like the skeleton discovered under a concrete slab. Or the old farmer, dead five years, whose death his daughters don’t believe was an accident. Or the doctor who’s murdered two wives and a girlfriend and left no evidence at all. Auhl will stick with these cases until justice is done. One way or another.