Jack Reacher stumbles into more trouble when he hitches a ride in Texas with a young woman seeking protection for herself and her little girl. Her name is Carmine Greer, and she wants Jack to kill her abusive husband, Sloop. When Jack refuses to do the job, Carmine does it herself--or so she says. Sloop's definitely dead, but Jack has a hunch that that Carmine's lying about her guilt. But why? Jack and a lawyer named Alice Aarons struggle to get to the truth.