When Captain Sharon Raydor and the Major Crimes Division investigate the murder of a young woman found in the LA River, their case is not only impeded by a secretive PI working for a tech industry millionaire, but also by Deputy Chief Winnie Davis, who regards Sharon as competition for the promotion to Assistant Chief of the LAPD.

A murder case goes sideways at trial when defense attorney Linda Rothman is able to destroy Det. Amy Sykes's credibility on the stand. Helping Rothman as a defense investigator is Amy's old nemesis, Mark Hickman.