The special agents who populate the offices of FICA (the Federal Investigation on Criminal Activities) are almost uniformly white and male-with one notable exception: Shalimar Blacque.

Six feet tall and as beautiful as most models, the eight-year agency veteran stands out both in FICA's New York office and on the streets. Subtle, Shalimar most definitely is not-she's impetuous, headstrong, and as proficient with her fists as her gun.

Very little fazes Shalimar-except that one incident. This case was the most sickening of her career, and no matter how hard she tries to block the horrors of that investigation, she can't forget.

That case, which Shalimar thought long closed, is about to rear its ugly head. When it does, she and her partner, Roosevelt "Rosie" Jenkins, will find themselves caught in a tangled web of corruption that includes some of the most powerful members of New York society.

As Shalimar digs deeper, she realizes she's going to have to keep her impetuosity under control. If she doesn't, the most challenging case of her career might end with her becoming the Big Apple's next homicide victim.