When a woman's severed head is found, Lt. Joe Kenda uses forensics and interrogation to find both her body and her killer; a young man's murder looks like a robbery gone wrong until Kenda investigates further.

In his first year on the force, rookie patrol officer Joe Kenda quickly learns the ropes. But when he tries to singlehandedly stop a brawling mob, he finds himself facing down gunfire. Can Kenda help detectives catch the man who nearly killed him?