Gainesville PD's most enigmatic partnership, Sergeant Josephine McGuire "the hardass" and Detective Mike Soigner "the Buddhist", is called to investigate the murders of Stephen and Lizzy Tillman. Pressure to solve the "Suburban Slaughter" mounts steadily from the moment the Tillman children call 911. McGuire and Soigner investigate several promising leads, narrowing it down to two prime suspects. Meanwhile the detectives' personal dilemmas interfere with the progress of the investigation. Tests reveal that McGuire has Multiple Sclerosis, throwing her from a world of order and justice to one of chaos and uncertainty. And a stalker's threat toward Soigner's wife forces him to realize he has not escaped the childhood nightmares of being raised by a harsh fundamentalist preacher. During the course of the novel Soigner and McGuire grapple with the ups and downs of their personal difficulties. Ultimately they both realize triumph over uncertainty occurs only through surrender.
