One afternoon in May, Zoe Duncan's thirteen–year–old daughter goes missing from her own backyard. The police think Samantha ran away because she's unhappy about her mother's upcoming marriage – but Zoe doesn't believe it. In fact, she's willing to do anything to bring Sam home, even if it means losing her job, her beautiful home, her fiance. Even if it means divulging all her secrets to a private investigator.

Jonathan Stivers is a P.I. who donates his time to The Last Stand, a victims' charity in Sacramento. He's good at what he does, the best. But never has he had fewer leads to work with – or been more attracted to a client. Jonathan's sure of only one thing: Sam was taken by someone close to the family. He doesn't know how close until he realises that the "perfect" couple next door is anything but...