Byrne and Susan Hollander are wealthy patrons of the arts. One night, they are murdered by robbers. Days later, the bodies of the thieves are discovered in a seedy Brooklyn apartment. They are surrounded by the stolen loot and have been shot in an apparent murder-suicide. Case closed? Not for Scudder.

Well past retirement age and feeling his years—but still staying sober one day at a time—Matthew Scudder learns that alcoholics aren't the only ones who count the days since their last slip. Matt's longtime partner, Elaine, tells him of a group of former sex workers who do something similar, helping each other stay out of the life. But when one young woman describes an abusive client who's refusing to let her quit, Elaine encourages her to get...