Khalila Hawas, a young Muslim American college student attending Roosevelt University in Chicago, has her whole life ahead of her. But when the vibrant young woman is brutally murdered in an alley just east the Loop, tensions mount as outraged Muslims clamor for the killer to be apprehended and brought to justice.

Detective Sgt. Morgan Strongbow and his new partner, Sara Rydell are assigned to the case. Soon, another Muslim girl turns up dead, and the detectives find themselves thrust into a religiously charged case that could cost one or both of them their lives.

When Sara learns...