A romantic thriller about those left unprotected by the law—and the secrets hidden beneath the surface. Winner of the Excellence Award at the 4th Romance-Thriller Literary Awards.
Teacher Kim Eun-a lives with Park So-yeon, a former student who suffered abuse at the hands of her father, Park Min-cheol. When Min-cheol dies in a suspicious fall from the roof of his one-story home, detective Jang Gyeong-jun visits Eun-a as part of his investigation. An avid mystery reader, she intrigues him with her clever theories about his death. As signs point to murder, those around the victim come under suspicion. Meanwhile, Eun-a and Gyeong-jun grow closer while helping a neighbor escape dating violence. But Eun-a harbors a dark past known only to her longtime friend Ji-hwan—one that soon casts a shadow over their romance.
Blending mystery and romance, the novel confronts child abuse, dating violence, and vigilante justice while asking: what can those abandoned by the law do to protect themselves?