In the fourth book in the Mary Hardy Series, Mary learns of Cora Beth McAfee, a psychopathic killer who left St. Louis traveling down the Mississippi River, leaving a string of dead bodies at every port. After escaping from police in New Orleans Cora heads to Texas. Hardy is ordered to apprehend her. The trail of Cora leads Hardy into the Big Thicket where life is cheap and the odds of escaping alive are small. Hardy must match wits with the devious Cora and overcome the odds of the most unforgiving terrain in east Texas. Cora has the advantage knowing Hardy is behind her and sets up ambushes along the trail. To survive, Hardy must outmaneuver Cora and get the advantage, but in the unmapped Big Thicket consisting of wild rivers, swamps, quicksand, insects, snakes, alligators, as well as a crazy woman with a rifle, doing so will be a life-threatening challenge.