On a rainy morning in a coastal town in Washington state, a young woman begs Sam Troshin, a sportswriter for the local paper, to help her get rid of the body of a man who raped her teen-aged friend. His actions lead to his discovery of a trial thirty years earlier where three boys were acquitted of raping a high-school classmate. Two of those boys, middle-aged men now, have died in peculiar circumstances. The third has disappeared. The town newspaper speculates: has the victim returned to avenge herself? A burnt-out pickup truck, a volleyball prodigy, an aging hitman, and a well-funded play in the local theater all have their part as Sam tries to find the third of the accused rapists.

In a fast-moving world, the necessity of making decisions, and preferably good ones, has become even more difficult. One reason is the variety and number of choices perhaps available which often are not presented or understood. Alternatives are often unclear and complex paths to them confusing and misleading. Thus the process of decision making itself requires analysis on an ongoing basis. Decision making is often made based on cultural factors whereas the best alternative might be quite different. The subject touches ethical aspects as well as psychological considerations. This book presents important research on the psychology of decision making related to law and law enforcement, health care and science.