Harry Bosch's life is on the edge. His earthquake-damaged home has been condemned, his girlfriend has left him, and he's drinking too much. And after attacking his commanding officer, he's even had to turn in his L.A.P.D. detective's badge. Suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he's spending his time investigating an unsolved crime from 1961the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother. Even after three decades, Harry's questions generate heat among L.A.'s top politicos. As the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone very powerful, very cunning, and very deadly wants to keep it buried.