Its not easy being a good detective - when your brothers a serial killer. Sam Blue stands accused of the brutal murders of three young students, their bodies dumped near the Georges River. Only one person believes he is innocent: his sister, Detective Harriet Blue. And shes determined to prove it. Except shes now been banished to the outback town of Last Chance Valley (population 75), where a diary found on the roadside outlines a shocking plan - the massacre of the entire town. And the first death, shortly after Harrys arrival, suggests the clock is already ticking. Meanwhile, back in Sydney, a young woman holds the key to crack Sams case wide open. If only she could escape the madman holding her hostage . . .