"We become who we are because of our abilities. It's what makes us special." "Yeah, well what if your ability was the ability to murder in the most conniving way imaginable? What does that make you then?" Ivy Brooks is dead. They say she was murdered in a way never seen before. Though she appeared fine on the outside, her heart had been crushed. Destroyed. Completely obliterated. It was her daughter who killed her. And now she's having to live with the repercussions. In a world run by the Civilisation project - where everyone has been sent back to their country of origin for an 'upgrade' - Beck Brooks struggles to make sense of what her grief-infested life has become. Just when she thinks her life is finally starting to sort itself out, things take another unexpected turn for the worst. After befriending a fellow criminal, Beck uncovers the secrets of her past as well as the project and learns what it truly means to be the Heart Crusher.