For Julia Larsen, a star television reporter, this holiday season was supposed to heal all the wounds between her and her family. But instead she finds her parents, the former governor of California and his wife, have been senselessly murdered, and all at once her life is thrown into turmoil. Standing by Julia's side is the devilishly handsome Matt Hinson, a longtime family friend and the man to whom she has always been attracted. At first Julia resists any temptation Matt presents, still hoping she can work out the differences between herself and her estranged husband, Tom. But soon Julia cannot resist Matt's charms, and she falls completely under his spell. Then the worst happens. Matt is arrested for the murders, and Julia throws herself into defending the one man she can be sure is innocent. Amid a media circus, the trial of the century begins. Against a spectacular background, as prosecution and defense pull out all the stops and as TV and newspapers spread truth and rumor, Julia is caught in a war between searing passion and chilling doubt. Is Matt the psychopath the police believe he is, or has this mountain of evidence been somehow fabricated?