Police Chief Jesse Stone faces off against a team of trained killers in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker’s beloved series.

Just before midnight, Jesse Stone is called to the local ER by his girlfriend, Dr. Rachel Lowenthal, to see the victim of a gunshot wound. Jesse thinks it’s more or less a routine crime — until he arrives at the hospital to find Wilson Cromartie, AKA Crow, one of the deadliest hit men alive, and Jesse’s sometime friend and ally. 

Crow is tight-lipped about how he got the wound, but he has one warning for Jesse before he passes out on his way into surgery: “You better get ready. They’re coming.”

Jesse calls every available cop in Paradise because he knows Crow is always serious. Just as he gets back-up from his loyal officers Molly Crane and Luther “Suitcase” Simpson, the hospital is cut off by a group of armed men in black vehicles.

Over the next six hours, Jesse is forced to defend Crow and every patient in the hospital from a force of smart, highly trained killers — without knowing who they are or what they want. He’s trapped and outgunned. The killers think they’re dealing with just another small town cop. They think this is going to be easy.

Jesse is about to prove them wrong.