Quinn, a sharp-tongued private investigator in Seattle who’s been busy waving goodbye to her philandering husband while fanning her hot flashes with her other hand, has just bumped into a case that threatens to expose the compassionate heart beneath her hard-boiled exterior.

A fifteen-year-old named Danny has suffered hideous abuse at the hands of his twisted parents, and now he’s battling a life-threatening illness. Danny’s saga has been turned into a bestselling memoir that is about to be adapted into a made-for-TV movie. The screenwriter, Alex Krapp, has talked to the weak, reclusive Danny only over the phone. But now a cynical reporter who believes that the kid doesn’t exist is about to put his suspicions in print. Can Quinn find and vindicate Danny before he dies?

Quinn is not only moved by the tale but a little attracted to Krapp himself. And yet something seems strange. Why does the story have so many similarities to her high-profile murder case, and why has Krapp hired her? While Quinn gets in touch with her feminine side, her suspicions force her to keep one hand on her Smith & Wesson LadySmith.