In New York City, there is little sense and no rules, and those who fly the highest often come crashing down the hardest.

A deranged, derelict, crazed Vietnam vet has been arrested for gunning down successful young lawyer Glenn Holtzmann at a corner phone booth on Eleventh Avenue—and the suspect's brother wants unlicensed private investigator Matthew Scudder to prove the madman innocent. But Scudder's curiosity and dedication are leading him to dark, unexplored places in his own heart ... and to passions and secrets that could destroy everything he loves.

In this unmerciful metropolis, no one is truly innocent—including Matthew Scudder.