Jo Beth Sidden is a Georgia peach with an iron pit. At 29, she owns Bloodhounds, Inc., raising and training bloodhounds for search-and-rescue missions in the treacherous Okefenokee Swamp. Every assignment carries the risk of falls, snakebite, and bodily harm from local fugitives, with only grudging help from macho deputies. To make matters worse, her ex-husband, Bubba, has been released from prison and is stalking her. In an attempt to save a friend from ruin, she organizes an illegal operation that makes a credible alibi impossible just when she needs it most: when she's under indictment for attempted murder. The mysterious will of her late father, a famous artist, adds to the web of deceit and betrayal that Jo Beth must unravel to save her livelihood and her life.