Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide detective Eve Ronin investigates the cold-case disappearance and death of a woman whose remains are found in the aftermath of a Santa Monica Mountains fire.

Monk's house is being fumigated, and he has nowhere to go. His assistant Natalie and her daughter are kind enough to welcome him into their home. While Monk attempts to arrange his surroundings just so, something else needs to be put straight. The death of a dog at the local firehouse-on the same night as a fatal house fire-has led Monk into a puzzling mystery. And much to his horror, he's going to have to dig through a lot of dirt to find the answer....