Mary Crow returns to her home town for a promised job that does not materialize. With shrinking prospects and pocketbooks, she opens a tiny one-woman law practice. Her first client is a successful developer, who hires Mary for brain-numbing real estate work. Her second client, however, is Ridge Standingdeer, a young Cherokee boy accused of murdering the beautiful and popular Bethany Daws. Though Mary''s promised her great love Jonathan Walkingstick no more murders, Mary can''t refuse the boy. Ridge is a mystical Ani Zaguhi Cherokee, from one of the oldest, most revered families of the tribe.
As Ridge awaits trial, Mary tries to build a defense. Unknown to her, other, less experienced investigators are working, too. Trying desperately to save her shattered family, Bethany''s twelve-year-old sister Kayla enlists her new friend Avis in an effort to exonerate Ridge and find the true killer. Kayla''s experience in detective work comes solely from television shows, while Avis has read every mystery writer from Agatha Christie to P.D.James. Still, the pair persevere, unknowingly blundering into unimaginable dangers.
Though the two girls do uncover evidence, they don''t find enough to convince anyone in law enforcement. They decide to set a trap for the killer, using Avis as bait. But the killer discovers the trap and Avis realizes that she will soon be the next to die. Kayla frantically reaches out to the one person who might help them-Mary Crow. As Mary races to stop the killer from striking again, everything she believes about the Ani Zaguhi Cherokees is upended. Their power is real, their mysticism is real as they lash out to save one of their own.