The theme of this novel focuses on the tragic, near fatal shooting of police lieutenant Hank Wade which was developed in the previous book, The Conundrum of the Jettisoned Jury. Interestingly, when attorney Hugh Kerr accepts a completely unrelated case, a severe conflict develops within the Kerr Gang. The strain of the unresolved shooting of their adopted father and his slow, complicated recovery, combined with the uncertainty over the jettisoned jury create tensions which finally threaten to fracture the close relationships established between Hugh, Jack Merrick and the Wades. The separated gang members are forced to reevaluate their relationships while attempting to work outside their well-established support system. Not until the team manages to sort out the many divergent angles of both cases are they finally able to solve both and repair their friendships.