Lieutenant Commander Ellie Somers, a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, isa woman seemingly without fear.Would you risk your life to save someone you've never met? Would you fly into an Alaskan night so dark that sea and sky are one? Would you take a helicopter up in winds that flatten trees?For Coast Guard pilots, Alaska's Air Station Sitka is the toughest flying assignment in the service. You not only have to be the best, you have to be a little crazy.Lieutenant Commander Ellie Somers walks a fine line between hero and thrill seeker every day. To prove she can fly better than the boys, Ellie has pushed the boundaries so long that she's forgotten where they are. Her exasperated superiors look the other way -- until the day her helicopter literally spins out of control.In the horrific crash, one of her crew is killed, and the investigation leads to her resignation. Traumatized by the death, she haunts Sitka, unable to move on. Nothing fills the void left by flying. For Ellie, life without risk isn't living at all.But then a stranger offers some diversion for her empty days. Like her, he's an addict -- and his even more insatiable thirst for risk takes Ellie on an exhilarating ride through high-rolling nights and quicksand days, teetering on the brink of perils she never imagined.In this high-voltage follow-up to Kate Morgenroth's acclaimed debut, Kill Me First, the unforgettable Ellie Somers explores the pain and loss behind the thrills as she answers the question: What really makes a hero?