In this sequel to The Mountain Man’s Dog, rustic forester Lehigh Carter must prove that his fiancée is innocent of murdering a popular Acting Sheriff — but evidence of a secret affair makes even Lehigh wonder if he should fight for her freedom against the corrupt local machine that accused her.

Lehigh conducts his own investigation into the murder and discovers a series of clandestine meetings between Jared and Stacy leading up to his death—meetings that look a lot like an ongoing secret love affair, rekindled from their youth. Lehigh's doubts about Stacy’s innocence multiply when she reconnects with her ex-fiancé, attorney Paul van Paten, a leading member of the conspiracy against Lehigh.

Rejecting the advice of his lawyer, Lehigh plays a high-stakes game of legal chicken to infiltrate the conspiracy and discover the truth behind Jared Barkley’s murder, putting himself in greater danger than he ever imagined.