When a professional tennis coach becomes entangled with a dangerous married woman, he finds himself at the center of a lethal investigation that spans from the Florida Keys to Los Angeles. Chuck Chandler, a man defined by his past failures and current indiscretions, must navigate a web of deception after his involvement with Clare Carras leads to a bizarre homicide. He is opposed by a vengeful West Coast mob boss and the complex, shifting loyalties of those around him. The narrative follows the perspective of two detectives, Tommy Sculley and Daryl Haynes, as they attempt to untangle a case that threatens to overwhelm them both. The story utilizes a third-person perspective to track the movement between the sun-drenched tennis clubs of Key West and the high-stakes criminal underworld of the West Coast.

This work reflects the established style of Stuart Woods, emphasizing fast-paced procedural elements and a focus on the interplay between personal indiscretion and criminal investigation. The narrative structure relies on the classic dynamic of a seasoned detective paired with an underestimated partner to provide both experience and fresh insight into the case. Readers familiar with the author's body of work will recognize the familiar blend of high-stakes tension and the atmospheric settings of the Florida Keys. The plot suggests a focus on the mechanics of the investigation rather than deep psychological character studies, keeping the momentum centered on the external threats posed by the mob and the enigmatic Clare Carras.