For six years Noah Galloway has lived with a horrible secret and the fear that his rebuilt life could be shattered at any moment. Now his dread has become a certainty, and he has been arrested for the arson murder of twenty-six people. What he needs now is defense lawyer Andy Carpenter, who is not in the market for a new client. So Noah plays his hole card: a shared love for Andy's golden retriever, Tara, who Noah had rescued first.