After the loathed co-op board president of a luxury pre-war building falls off her balcony to her death, Elsbeth and Kaya are called to the scene to dig for a lead when they meet Joann, a high-powered Manhattan real estate broker with huge clients and even bigger secrets.

After one of New York's most sought-after plastic surgeons is found dead, Elsbeth has her eye on the victim's former boss, Dr. Vanessa Holmes, who she believes has motives that are more than skin-deep. Also, Kaya keeps tabs on Elsbeth's whereabouts as her investigation into Captain Wagner heats up.

Elsbeth goes to battle with artificial intelligence when Quinn, the young CEO of a location-based crime alert app, murders a journalist and uses her app to divert authorities and create a phony killer. Meanwhile, Wagner hatches a plan to fight the D.O.J. investigation.