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Lawyer Lucy Campbell is perturbed by a series of murders involving the local unhoused population. The first victim, Otis, is found "dead on the scene" at the central light rail station following an altercation. Though Otis appears to have been hit by a train, an autopsy suggests he had recently ingested chemical substances. When a second and then a third person are found dead in the same area, Lucy takes an interest in the welfare of the city's homeless, befriending a man named Eli who may possess secrets that could reveal the killer's identity. Meanwhile, Lucy witnesses a shooting in a railcar, and prosecutors seek the conviction of a man suspected of the killings.
Christensen convincingly portrays a city on the precipice of chaos, carefully elevating tension with each additional murder. It's an engaging way to present what is, at heart, a didactic novel with echoes of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, one that challenges the reader to remember our collective obligations to the less fortunate. The book's legal aspects are well researched, and the author explains some rather difficult concepts without forgetting her primary mandate to entertain the reader. The story seems to end too abruptly. However, the book's good-hearted nature and its eagerness to both edify and advance the common good outweigh this. This is a novel of social issues in the tradition of Upton Sinclair, the sort of book that dares to believe social change is still possible through the written word. This unblinking optimism makes it an invaluable addition to the world of letters.