Penn Cage had already given up being a lawyer when he went back to live in his home town of Natchez, Mississippi. At first glance, the historic river town is an idyllic place to bring up a child. Beneath the surface, however, the community is stretched to breaking point by racial tension and civic corruption. Penn is at his daughter's school board meeting when the news breaks that a beautiful and brilliant seventeen-year-old student has just been found murdered and raped. That same evening, Penn's best friend Drew confesses to Penn that he has been having an affair with the girl and was planning to leave his wife for her. When Drew is accused of the murder he asks Penn to defend him, in the most explosive case the town has ever seen...