Megan Brown's brother, Tyler, is dead, but the cops are killing him all over again. They say he died of a drug overdose, potentially suicide -- something Megan cannot accept. Determined to figure out what happened in the months before Tyler's death, Megan turns to the things he left behind. After all, she understands the stories objects can tell -- at fifteen, she is a gifted collage artist with a flair for creating found-object pieces. However, Megan now realizes that her artistic talent has developed into something more: she can see memories attached to some of Tyler's belongings -- and those memories reveal a brother she never knew. Enlisting the help of an artifact detective who shares her ability and specializes in murderabilia -- objects tainted by violence or the deaths of their owners -- Megan finds herself drawn into a world of painful personal and national memories. Along with a trusted classmate and her brother's charming friend, she chases down the troubling truth about Tyler across Washington, DC, while reclaiming her own stifled identity with a vengeance.