Growing up the son of Philadelphia's most notorious mob boss, Nick had two choices: Sell his soul or flee. It seemed like a lose-lose. Dr. Nick Carlotti, a self-centered but gifted plastic surgeon, refused to follow in his father’s ruthless footsteps. For 18 years, he remains unscathed by his family’s dark legacy but when his mother dies in a suspicious fiery car crash, he has no choice but to confront the beast head-on. An hour before the accident, witnesses observe Liza Carlotti conversing with state senator Lloyd Mays, an odd meeting given Mays' previous efforts to take down the mob.

Nick believes Mays may be responsible for his mother’s death, but it just doesn’t add up. Too many ties still exist between the accident and his father’s men, including a series of clues his mother left in her journal, a Bible, and a strange paperback book. When a small-time drug dealer ends up under Nick’s care after a failed hit, the mystery deepens.

Detective Maurice Rawls, a zealous Philadelphia detective, uncovers strange connections between Senator Mays, a missing lounge singer, a dead prostitute, and Nick’s mother. On separate but converging paths, Nick and Rawls race to seek the truth. But the truth can get you killed.