years ago lucas davenport almost died at the hands of clara rinker a pleasant softspoken lowkey southerner and the best hitwoman in the business now retired and living in mexico she nearly dies herself when a sniper kills her boyfriend the son of a local druglord and while the boys father vows vengeance rinker knows something he doesnt the boy wasnt the targetshe wasand now she is going to have to disappear to find the killer herself the fbi and dea draft davenport to help track her down and with his fiancie deep in wedding preparations hes really just as happy to gobut he has no idea what hes getting into for rinker is as unpredictable as ever and between her her old bosses in the st louis mob the mexican druglord and the combined sometimes warring forces of us law enforcement this is one case that will get more dangerous as it goes along and when the crossfire comes anyone standing in the middle wont stand a chancefilled with the rich characterization and exceptional drama that are his hallmarks mortal prey proves that john sandford just keeps getting better