Leaving the Helsinki police force to put her new law degree to use, Maria Kallio is ready for a fresh start. But when she discovers a strangled body, old habits die hard for the redheaded sleuthespecially since the accused is related to her new boyfriend. The police rush to close the case against the victim's fiancé, but Maria is convinced they've got the wrong man and soon finds herself unofficially investigating the murder, now labeled a sex crime. To crack the case, Kallio will have to pull back the curtain on the secret dealings of Finnish high societyand uncover a secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden.