Liz Boldt, wife of Lt. Lou Boldt of the Seattle police, finally has to face the consequences of the affair she had several years previous with a co-worker, David Hayes. She ended the affair of her own volition, but not before Hayes embezzled millions from the bank that employed him. Recently release from prison, Hayes contacts Liz, who, incredibly naively, agrees to help him recover the stolen money that never reached its destination. Liz is forced to confide in Lou, and their marriage, which was happily on the mend, is now stretched to the breaking point once more. The stakes are raised even higher when a Russian mobster enters the mix; he has a sex tape of Liz and David, and threatens to destroy their lives if they refuse to cooperate in phase 2 of this scam.

Author Pearson is clearly interested in the interplay of characters: Liz and Lou, Lou and his coworkers, the good guys and the criminals. This plot is an unusually complicated one, with no one able to trust anyone else, and at times, is difficult to follow. While some of the details get lost in the bait and switch action, however, the main issues are crystal clear, and it's never certain whether Lou can pull this one out of the fire. I look forward to future entries in this series, especially to find out what becomes of the Boldt marriage.