When Detective Sam Lawson arrives in a sleepy East Texas town to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young woman, he soon discovers everyone has something to hide. And the more he digs, the more questions he uncovers. Are the scratch marks on the face of the woman's arrogant husband really from a construction accident? Why is the rich investor suddenly so interested in the investigation? Who had been hiding in the woods behind the woman's house? Why did one of the woman's friends leave town the same day she went missing, and what was their real relationship? With the help of a tough-as-nails sheriff's sergeant, Liz Garcia, and his estranged girlfriend, medical examiner Carla Davenport, Sam must navigate the tangled relationships of this small community to find the truth before it's too late.