Munch Mancini is a busy woman, juggling her job, a fledgling business and single motherhood, but she hasn't forgotten her old friends like Ellen Summers. Munch and Ellen were young and foolish together, but somewhere along the line Munch went straight and Ellen went to prison. Now Ellen is about to be freed from the California Institute for Women. She'll have another chance to make a life. Or will she? Just a day before her release, her world falls apart when someone tortures and murders her mother and stepfather. Ellen may be the next target. Friendship, loyalty, motherhood, men and even Munch's sobriety are put to the test as she embarks on a harrowing mission to catch a killer and save Ellen.