Most of them were asleep in their beds when the ground gave way. . . .

When Ryder Creed responds to a devastating mudslide in North Carolina, he knows the difference between finding survivors and the dead - is time. Heedless of the dangers, Creed and his best search-and-rescue dog Bolo frantically wade through the chaos of twisted tree limbs, crumbled cement, and unrecognisable debris, when a second slide catches up with Ryder. And he is buried alive.

Bolo makes it out, though, and leads the heroic rescue of his master. But what they get when they pull Ryder from the mud is much more than they bargained for. This dramatic incident reveals secrets that run deep, pointing to a possible serial killer and unexpectedly dredging up painful, hushed-up pieces of Creed's own past.

The mysteries unearthed will bring Ryder Creed face-to-face with his past loyalties, deeply embedded survivor's guilt, and a powerful figure from his past. He'll have to rely on his dogs if he wants to make it through alive...