"Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice. The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything. The second time was at home nearly two decades later....

Commander Adam Dalgliesh and his team are called on to solve a sensitive high profile case on Combe Island off the Cornish coast of England at a time when Dalgliesh is dealing with his uncertain future with Emma Lavenham.