Holden Jones, a college senior, has everything going for him—wealthy parents, a lovely fiancee, a bright, bright future, and a "sensual" friend named Melissa. But when Melissa is found dead and all the evidence points to Holden, everything changes.

First, there are the rose petals scattered over Melissa's naked corpse. Then there's the bloody knife in Holden's refrigerator. Finally, there's police Captain Marvin Witt, who sees Holden's downfall as the stepping-stone to his political future.

Holden can see only one way out—to find the real killer himself. But he barely holds his own, stumbling through a maze of indecision and fear while murder multiplies. The life-and-death game between the cocky young kid and the ambitious cop is pathetic in its inequality, but stunning in its conclusion. The price Holden has to pay to prove his innocence is unbearably high.