A 4th of July house party erupts in violence, and a young man is shot dead behind the wheel of a car. Lt. Joe Kenda must sort through a mountain of suspects, until a peculiar clue puts him hot on the heels of a self-styled gangster.

A massive brawl erupts at a local bar ends with the shooting death of a young army solider. To unravel the murder, Lt. Joe Kenda must infiltrate a revered military institution, and expose a dangerous vendetta.