Recovering from being shot by a student she'd never met, Chicago sociology professor Amelia Emmet, desperate to know why she was targeted, gets some investigative help from her teaching assistant and together they must live through the darkest hours of their lives to find the truth.

"A retired bestselling author hosts a one-of-a-kind competition, with high risks and high rewards-giving the winner a chance to change lives. Lucy Hart has come a long way since feeling the cold neglect of her parents, whose attention always centered around her chronically ill sister's needs. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide, Lucy is able to share her love of books with bright, young students, and one in particular, a seven-year-old orphan...