In 1987, battle-scarred war correspondent Peter Brandt returns from covering the wars in Central America to bury his ex-wife, Palm Springs TV reporter Robin Anderson, after her brutal murder. When Peter discovers the local police refuse to investigate Robin's murder, he sets out with an old friend, retired cop Matt Banyon, to find her killer. They unearth secrets old and new--a shadow world of sex and drugs, political corruption, and a wealthy Cuban freedom fighter who may be more than he seems. In a final, cliff- hanging struggle, Peter faces his own demons--and death in a dark and empty place.