Cauley MacKinnon is still trying to regain her journalistic respectability after sleeping with the boss at her last job. She currently writes obituaries for another paper in Austin as she keeps her ear tuned to newsworthy happenings she can scoop and work her way back up. When hunky FBI Agent Tom Logan calls and asks her to write a fake obit for a key witness he's protecting, Cauley can't find a good enough reason to say no. She and Tom have a "close" relationship from a previous case (read first book SCOOP) and this witness is also involved in the prosecution of that case.

However, the fake obit becomes true as the witness is gunned down on the steps of the courthouse before the start of the trial, right in front of Tom and Cauley. Shortly afterwards, the main defendant being held in protective custody escapes and Tom has to leave to locate her. Then the dead witness' sister goes missing, while rumors of feuding mobs muddy the waters even more. As death threats appear on Cauley's doorstep, she needs all the help she can get to discover the culprit. Did I say muddy waters? Yes, and it gets even more muddled and confusing for everyone involved in the case.

Kit Frazier brings back the smart-mouthed, witty and deprecating Cauley MacKinnon for another fast-paced murder mystery. Though she's always getting herself into trouble, she does an admirable job of getting out of it and besting the bad guys. Great follow-up to first book, SCOOP.