Sarah Spillman

When a suburban high-school grad is drowned along downtown Denver’s Platte River, homicide detective Sarah Spillman is called to the scene.

Who is the teen, why was she down in this sketchy part of the city late at night, and why would anyone want her dead? Starting with no obvious clues, Sarah and her team begin their investigation, delving into the lives and minds of teenagers, their parents, and even a teacher with questionable ethics, none of whom is eager to talk. Poking and prodding, interviewing and re-interviewing kids and adults alike, Sarah and her partners gradually uncover secrets in the victim’s life and identify several suspects, each with a motive to want the young woman dead.

As Sarah digs deeper for answers, she realizes that sometimes even a choice that seems insignificant can demand a deadly price.

What happens when desires turn deadly?

Gloria Lott’s body is found on her back patio, an apparent suicide. It should be an open-and-shut case. Gloria suffered from depression, and had even attempted suicide before. But a few details about the crime scene don’t quite add up for Denver homicide detective Sarah Spillman, so she and her team start their investigation by interviewing family, friends, and neighbors. And as they learn more about Gloria, they find there was more than just depression in her past, and several people with reasons to murder her.

Despite daily pressure from her superiors to close the case quickly, niggling doubts keep Sarah searching for clues and questioning her assumptions. But she can’t stop digging until she knows for certain that a killer doesn’t remain on the loose.