As bestselling novelist Rebecca Spencer, trying to put an ugly divorce behind her, prepares to move back home to Texas, she receives a letter from her high school nemesis, Catrina Sullivan, now on Texas death row for the brutal murder of her 3-year old daughter. What could she possibly want??? Rebecca tosses the letter in a desk drawer and forgets about it. As she is settling back into life in the small East Texas town of Oleander, and struggling against her growing attraction to her high school sweetheart, Sheriff Russell Jareau, Rebecca decides to read Catrina's letter, only to find that it's a plea for help. "My appeals are running out. You're the only one I can trust." Why me??? Rebecca wonders. How can I be the only one you can trust??? And trust with what??? Curiosity wins out and Rebecca visits Catrina who vehemently denies her guilt. She wants Rebecca to research her case, write her story, and hopefully find something that will exonerate her. Skeptical and unsympathetic, Rebecca agrees to listen to her story, only to come away with growing doubts about Catrina's guilt. Against everyone's advice, she begins to delve into the heinous murder, and Catrina's warning comes back to haunt her: "Be careful. As long as I'm in here with the world thinking I'm guilty, the killer is safe. When you start asking questions, somebody might get worried." Soon somebody is very worried. People Rebecca interview about the crime begin to die. As the body count rises, she narrowly escapes one attempt on her own life ... and it won't be the last.