After being disbarred, lawyer Lawson Russell (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) moves to Key West to start a new life. He meets a man named Jackie (played by Tom Berenger) who is dying of cancer and offers to let Lawson read his manuscript titled "A Murder of Crows." Lawson is impressed with the manuscript and believes it has the potential to be a bestseller.
Tragically, Jackie dies before the book is published. Feeling desperate for a new start, Lawson decides to publish the book under his own name. The book becomes a huge success and catapults Lawson back into the spotlight.
However, things take a dark turn when five of the lawyers in Lawson's book are murdered in real life, mirroring the events in the book. Lawson quickly becomes the prime suspect and is arrested for the murders, despite proclaiming his innocence.
Desperate to prove his innocence, Lawson begins to investigate the murders himself. Along the way, he discovers that Jackie's manuscript was based on real-life events and that the murders were part of a larger conspiracy involving corruption in the justice system.
As Lawson delves deeper into the case, he finds himself in grave danger and is forced to confront his own past mistakes. With the help of a determined journalist named Della (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Lawson fights to clear his name and bring the true killers to justice.