An invitation addressed to his long-dead mother sparks Van Shaw’s curiosity about the woman he barely knew. He uncovers startling details about young Moira Shaw's life, including her relationship to a boy named Sean Burke. Could Burke—who Van soon discovers has an even darker family history than his own—be the biological father who abandoned Moira before he was born? But Van has more immediate troubles. International extortionist Bilal Nath demands that the talented thief mastermind a daring heist to steal a viral weapon from a Seattle biotechnology firm—or the blackmailer will destroy the lives of people Van loves. To extricate himself from this trap, Van turns to his lawbreaking friends—Hollis, Big Will Willard, and Willard's sly and seductive niece Elana. Yet even this formidable crew may not be enough. To outwit a brilliant sociopath, Van may need a cold-blooded killer . . . a criminal whose blood may run through Van’s own veins.