Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he's almost back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Andy can't wait to get back to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that's always been his true passion. But before the boat even docks, Andy gets several urgent calls from his partner, Willie Miller. In this 22nd investigation (after Muzzled), Willie's old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn't necessarily believe in Tony, but Willie does, and he signs up for plenty of trouble when he reluctantly agrees to take the case.