Captain Josie Corsino has seen plenty of dead bodies during her twenty-one years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but the discovery of Hillary Dennis's beautiful smiling corpse begins one of the most unusual and dangerous investigations of Josie's career. The troubled teenage movie star is found murdered in a Hollywood Hills party house, a notorious location for vice and drug orgies. While the investigation provides little evidence, there are plenty of suspects including a city councilman's son, several Hollywood police officers and even members of Josie's family.

As the case progresses, Josie realizes there aren't many of her subordinates or bosses she can trust other than homicide detective Red Behan and Lieutenant Marge Bailey, the vice supervisor; relying on them as she reluctantly takes charge of the homicide case, dodging interference and political pressure from both inside and outside her department. The situation isn't much better at home where her husband Jake and her talented but unemployed son David expose her to the sort of scrutiny that could damage or even terminate her career.

The brutal killing doesn't end with Hillary's death. Josie soon finds herself in those dangerous and deadly situations typically not considered suitable for an LAPD captain, but she's a tough cop who can run her station and still do solid police work. To catch a killer, she's willing to jeopardize her position as a commanding officer and risk losing her life - and possibly the husband and son she loves.