Madeline Ridley had all she'd ever dreamed of: a handsome, successful husband, a place at the top of Santa Barbara society, every luxury money could buy. In all respects, her world was perfect—until she awoke in the early morning hours in a strange hotel room, alone, unclothed, with a splitting headache and no clue how she had gotten there.When Steven Ridley comes home in the middle of a weekday and throws a sheaf of damning photos at her, Madeline's comfortable world collapses in a swirl of blackmail, sabotage, and deceit. Hoping to convince Steven of her innocence, Madeline drives to his office and unwittingly stumbles onto a scene that makes her realize who the real enemy is.From that point on, Madeline Ridley deconstructs herself, reverting back to Madeline Dawkins in order to salvage what's left of her life. In the process, she discovers where her true strengths lay, and with those, she steels herself for the battle of a lifetime.

Madeline’s dual professions as event coordinator and private investigator cross paths during the most lavish affair of her career—a weekend-long 40th birthday extravaganza for the wife of a famous film director. As the party draws near, a simple background check after the disappearance of precious family jewels quickly turns into a murder investigation, and before Madeline and Mike can put the pieces together, another body turns up.Adding to Madeline’s already overflowing plate, the D.A. informs her that Rick Yeoman, one of the men who had abducted her three years earlier, has been prematurely released from prison after cutting a deal with the Feds. Besides fearing reprisals from the man she helped to convict, his parole also triggers the reappearance of soulless Lionel Usherwood, lured out of his hideaway by the call of revenge. When Yeoman’s body surfaces in Lake Cachuma, Usherwood moves on to the next target—Madeline.