When a desperate groom hires private investigator Lew Archer to locate his missing bride, the search unearths a dormant murder case that threatens to destroy multiple lives. Archer navigates a web of deception, tracking the runaway Dolly Kincaid through a landscape of buried secrets and long-standing grudges. As he peels back layers of the past, he encounters resistance from figures desperate to keep old crimes hidden. The narrative unfolds through Archer’s observant, first-person perspective, emphasizing the psychological toll of the investigation on both the detective and the suspects.

This novel is widely regarded as a high point in the Lew Archer series, noted for its structural complexity and psychological acuity. Critics often highlight the way the narrative bridges the gap between a standard missing-persons case and a profound exploration of past sins. The prose is frequently praised for its precision and the author's ability to maintain suspense while managing a dense web of connections. Readers typically appreciate the grounded nature of the characters, which avoids the tropes of more stylized detective fiction. The work remains a standard-bearer for the mid-century American crime novel.