What happens when a murder investigation goes off the rails and a young woman is convicted of second-degree murder, when evidence is lacking and her attorney has never before tried a criminal case? Rosa Salinas, found guilty by an Austin, Texas, jury immediately receives a mulligan from Judge Susan Bronson, who calls the trial a "circus." The judge orders a new investigation, and the job falls to Detective Lt. Craig Rylander and his team. They confront a belligerent local sheriff, tight-lipped witnesses, and an on-going series of felonies. Will they be able to figure out who the murderer really was? Or might it have been Rosa Salinas all along? From an isolated West Texas ranch to a Mexican whorehouse, detectives Gady Esparza and Tom Sellers, and ADA Sydney Reynolds are determined to reclaim justice.