A young teacher's assistant is raped and fatally shot in the middle of the night. Her roommate, awakened by the noise, calls 911 and reports it as a suicide - beginning an intriguing mystery of motive, heartbreak and a tragic discovery.

A violent break-in at Christmas time turns a festive home into a crime scene. Though her throat is slashed while sleeping, Anita Yunk survives but her husband isn't so lucky, and detectives must untangle a cross-country drama to find a killer.