Clayton Blaisdell Jr., known as Blaze, has spent much of his life drifting through institutions and crime. Physically imposing but intellectually disabled after suffering abuse as a child, Blaze relies heavily on his partner George Rackley to plan their schemes.
After George dies, Blaze continues to hear his voice and follows through on their most ambitious plan: kidnapping the infant son of a wealthy family and demanding a ransom.
With the police searching for him and George’s voice continuing to guide, criticize, and torment him, Blaze tries to care for the child while staying ahead of the investigation. As his past and present unfold together, the story traces the experiences that shaped him and the choices that have brought him to a desperate final crime.