At first glance it didn't look like a crime scene to detective Lawrence Oliver "Lo" Faeth. It simply read as a terrible accident. One of San Francisco's aging gas lines blew and took a woman's life. Besides, Lo is dealing with his own loss. His brother vanished after Lo condemned him for dressing in drag. Now he spends his days haunted by his brother's mysterious fate.

When Lo finds evidence at the scene suggesting murder, his trusted partner, Barbara Jean "BJ" Reeves, argues that the blast is just an accident. He refuses to cave and his gut says BJ is hiding something.

Lo learns that a serial killer and her flunkies are targeting transgender women. When the victim of the blast turns out to be a trans woman, he's suddenly up against killers who possess his prejudice. His brother's ghost rips into his conscience.