Charley LeBlanc left West Virginia under a dark cloud. An ex-soldier and ex-convict, the black sheep scion of a distinguished Southern family, his departure was cheered by a local law force glad to be rid of him. Now, when Charley returns to Shawnee County to see an elderly lady who'd befriended him while he was in trouble, he stumbles onto a murder, the prime suspect a wild woman named Esmeralda who lives in forests, caves, and abandoned houses. Charley shares a shocking connection with Esmeralda, and his attempts to save her by digging up secrets about the crime make powerful enemies of those who are threatened by the truth.