Wes Block (Clint Eastwood) is a police detective who is placed on to the case of a serial killer who prefers to rape and murder beautiful young women. On the case Block must enter into a part of New Orleans that is less than respectable, but a place that he is no stranger to as it turns out that the killer and Block share the same sexual preferences. While investigating Block is also a single father of two daughters, whose lives come into jeopardy from the killer, he also meets Beryl Thibodeaux (Genevieve Bujold), a rape counselor with whom he strikes up a relationship. All the while Block is walking the line between the two sides of his life, which makes him and his family ever in danger from the criminal whom he hunts.