From the New York Times bestselling author of The First Victim, a new novel in which Lou Boldt, Daphne Matthews and Sergeant John LaMoia team up to try and save Seattle from sinking into total chaos The "blue flu" has struck the Seattle Police Force and the majority of the officers are on an unofficial strike. Overworked and understaffed, Detective Lou Boldt is committed to remaining on the job no matter what. But when a string of robberies and the brutal near-murder of a female cop descend on the city, the pressure of being a nearly one-man operation threatens Boldt's psyche and his marriage. With the help of police psychologist Daphne Matthews and Sergeant John LaMoia, Boldt is able to make slow progress cracking the case and their work leads them to a Denver convict and his brother, a hardened criminal with a record.