Paul Burgess at twenty-one was mature and level-headed, a successful student and a good son to his "widowed" mother. But his life turned to a nightmare when he discovered that he was the son of a convicted murderer who was even then serving the fifteenth year of his life sentence. The suspense mounts as Paul's inquiries not only resurrect long-buried fears and hatred but also bring threats and pressure from high places as he penetrates further into the mystery surrounding the crime and grows more and more convinced of his father's innocence. From then on the story is of Paul's desperate struggle for his father's release, supported only by a few loyal friends and by the girl he loves.